A Twist Of Fate
by Wolfspirit44
Summary: Erza had it all, the handsome boyfriend, captain of the track team, class president, and possibly the most popular girl in high school. Then, one day, she runs into the new student, who shows her a whole different life. Was their meeting by chance, or by something else? Grayza, JERZA, nalu, gruvia, rowen and gale!
1. Introducing Team Natsu

**A/N: you know when you get an idea and you just have to get it out there? That was me with this story. And I just finished _The Power of One_ too...**

**Anyway, I hope you like it, leave a review, tell me what you think!**

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><p>If one was to ever look inside the gates of Fairy Tail High school, they'd see a pristine building with clean cut laws, trees, and many young men and women walking around. They'd see boys mingling with girls, teens playing, and groups sitting in the shade, enjoying the afternoon.<p>

They'd also see a group of four extraordinary young adults, standing out from the rest. Two handsome young men and two beautiful, youthful looking women.

One of the boys, the one with shaggy black hair, deep blue eyes, and his shirt untucked and partially unbuttoned, could be seen hand in hand with the tall redhead girl with dark brown eyes. The other young man, with odd pink hair, a white scarf, and slanty onyx eyes, would be arm in arm with the shorter blond girl, with large brown eyes.

These were the four most popular teenagers in Fairy Tail. Team Natsu.

Their story started out like any other, the beginning term of senior year. However, a new occurrence in their usually normal lives would change everything.

_**Erza's POV**_

I sighed and stretched out on the school lawn, sitting next to my best friend, Lucy. Her long blond hair fluttered in the wind, and she closed her brown eyes, bathing in the sunlight.

"It's a gorgeous day out, isn't it, Erza?" Lucy said, sighing happily. I nodded. "Yes, it is."

I looked out at my surroundings. It was the lunch period, about a month into school. Everyone was outside, enjoying the last few days of summer before the season changed.

I looked around at the other kids, milling around. Some were staring and whispering, and I let them. I knew it all. Lucy and I had the biggest reputation in the school, dating the most athletic guys in the school, while being captains of our own sports teams. Lucy and I were on the girls track team, and Gray and Natsu were the captains of the soccer team.

My eyes slid over to Natsu and Gray, who were off to the side, dribbling and passing a soccer ball to and fro. My eyes fastened themselves onto Gray's form, noting the way his white shirt clung to him in all the right places, and every time he moved, the shirt would ride up, exposing the hard planes of his abs.

Natsu stole the ball out from underneath Gray's feet. The pink haired teenager grinned and cackled dramatically.

I sighed. My eyes slid over to Lucy, who had reclined on her back, basking in the warm sun.

Still can't believe she can date that annoying monster, I thought to myself. Natsu was always a wild one, getting into fights with the opposing team, other kids in the hall, and of course, Gray himself. The two had been rivals since they were kids, neither one able to best the other.

I looked back at my boyfriend. Boyfriend, I thought, eyeing Gray's toned body once more. It was still hard to believe. We had been friends for such a long time. It was still hard to believe we were dating. The guy had just about every single girl- and guy- for that matter, after him.

I don't blame them, I thought. Gray is quite hot.

Suddenly, a shadow fell across me, and I looked up. It was Cana, a dark haired young woman who was fond of her liquor, even though she wasn't old enough. Age didn't deter Cana though. I guess that's where the word "illegal" comes into play.

"Erza, your boyfriend and Natsu are fighting again." She said, a merry- and soon to be drunken- look in her eyes. I looked over. What had once been a friendly little mini-game of soccer had turned into an all-out brawl, Natsu and Gray slamming into eachother and shouting.

Lucy opened her eyes and sat up, disturbed by the noise. She squinted, then sighed in exasperation. "You have got to be kidding me," she mumbled, giving me a sideways look. I sighed and got to my feet, brushing off my skirt and my black thigh highs. Unfortunately, it was school uniform, along with the annoying black jackets we were forced to wear.

Lucy and Cana looked at me. "Try not to kill them, Erza. We have a game next week," Lucy said, informing me of the soccer season kick off game, versus Sabertooth, our rival school. I chuckled. "Who, me? Why would you ever think that?" I said sarcastically, turning and heading over to the two writhing boys, a small crowd surrounding them.

"Move," I ordered sharply, pushing a few sophomores out of my way. They quickly made way for me, after all, who dares defy the student council president? Yes, that would happen to be moi.

I walked right in between the two boys, just as they were about to launch themselves at the other. Their yells cut off abruptly and they froze.

I looked at each one of them sternly. "Now boys," I cooed, in a low snarl. "We don't fight at school. I don't want to get in this fight, but if you keep on going…"

"Oh, god, um, Erza….hey, how's it going?" Gray said, scratching his head sheepishly. I glared at him. My boyfriend could be incredibly stupid at times.

Then I glared at Natsu, who had turned away. Speaking of stupid, I thought. "Natsu…" I said threateningly. He frozed, then turned. Around us, the small crowd of onlookers watched with bated breath.

"G-gomenasai," he muttered. I glared at him. "You better be," I growled.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Lucy stomped up to Natsu and slammed a book on his forehead.

"God damnit!" Natsu exclaimed, turning and facing his girlfriend, who looked up into his face with a steely gaze. "Baka!" She hissed. Natsu gulped.

Gray reached out and took my hand. "I think Lucy's got this under control," he said. "How about you and I go catch some grub?" His eyes peered into mine with a pleading smile upon his handsome face.

I looked at his hand, clenched firmly in my own. Then I looked back into his face, and nodded. "Yes please. And for that fight, you owe me a slice of cake."

Gray chuckled, and brushed a strand of scarlet hair out of my eyes. I blushed.

"One slice of strawberry cake, coming right up. Let's go, Class President Erza Scarlet," he said, putting a dramatic tone in his voice.

I snorted, and began to follow him towards the cafeteria, leaving Natsu in Lucy's more than capable hands.

I looked back down at Gray's hand in mine. It was weird, I thought, staring at him. Even though we're datjng, and even though I do like him, why do I feel so strange? My heart felt like it was being pulled, pulled in a distant direction. Like it was being drawn to someone.

Someone who I had yet to meet.


	2. Winds of Change

Now let's take our story to a different setting, far from the Fairy Tail academy. Let us go to the city of Crocus, where a new story is just about to unfold…

_**Jellal's POV**_

I looked down at the crisp white sheet of paper in my hands. It was the acceptance letter to Fairy Tail Academy. My two sisters, Juvia and Wendy, and myself would be going to the most prestigious boarding school in the kingdom of Fiore.

I threw the piece of paper onto my desk and stood up from my chair, looking around at my sparsely decorated room. It was furnished with a bed, my desk, one plain dresser, and my most prized possesion, which sat in the corner of my room.

My guitar.

I walked over to it, catching a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror attached to my door. Dark blue hair, red tattoo on my face, a pair of sweats.

Look at me, I thought to myself. I'm a complete wreck.

I'm not the most social person. I'm actually rather awkward. Usually, a teenage guy like me would be on a soccer team, or a football team, or be a total jock, but I much more preferred the sound of music and the feeling of isolation. I can never interact well with people.

I touched my guitar, feeling the strings on my fingers, begging to be played. But I held myself back. I needed to tell Wendy and Juvia. We were going to boarding school, which meant we were moving.

Juvia was a year younger than me. She was seventeen. And then there was Wendy, who was only thirteen. We had no parents, they both died in a car crash when I was 5. Wendy and Juvia were too young to remember, but not me. For I was in the car with them when it all happened.

We were driving to the nursery school to pick Wendy and Juvia up. I had just been picked up from kindergarten, and it was snowing outside. We were driving cautiously along a snowy road when a deer jumped out of nowhere. My dad tried swerving to avoid it, but we smashed right into the front of an approaching car. I blacked out. When I woke, I was in the uospital, and Mom and Dad were gone.

I shook my head and opened my door, stepping out into the small apartment. In the kitchen, I could hear Juvia and Wendy talking.

"Maybe Jellal will finally meet someone," I heard Wendy say, making me freeze in my tracks. They're still on that? I thought, exasperated. For 2 years, the girls have been trying to set me up with dates, but nothing has worked. When will they realize that no girl will want a guy like me?

"That's if we even get into the school," I heard Juvia reply. "But Juvia would also hope that Jellal will meet someone to get him out of that shell he's been cooped up in."

"What about you, Juvia?"

"Well, now that Lyon's out of the picture…" Juvia continued. I though back to her ex boyfriend of 3 years. He had just been accepted to Lamia Scale University, a college about 3 hours away from Crocus. Juvia and Lyon broke up about 3 weeks ago, on friendly terms.

I walked into the kitchen, and the atmosphere turned silent. Little Wendy, with her blue hair up in pigtails, looked at me with wide eyes. Juvia stood behind the counter, making lunch, with her blue hair tied up in a messy bun.

"We got accepted." I said. "We start next Monday. Which means-"

"I don't have to go to Cait Shelter!" Wendy cried out. She'd been dreading going to the new high school just outside of town. It was a nice school, but Wendy just did not feel comfortable there.

I locked eyes with Juvia. She smiled. She was entering her junior year, and I was entering my last and final year of high school.

"Well, that settles it. Today is Monday. In a week, we'll be in Magnolia, starting at Fairy Tail." Juvia said, coming out from behind the counter and placing a sandwich in front of Wendy. "We have a week to pack and move. Thank god, because the rent is coming up too."

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><p>I sat in my room, on the messed up, unmade bed, guitar on my lap.<p>

Maybe, just maybe, I thought, as I strummed. Maybe, I'll be able to make some kind of friends.

I snorted. Yeah right. They'll probably see the tattoo and think I'm a freak.

The tattoo wasn't actually a tattoo. It was a birth mark. I've had it all my life. But Juvia, nor Wendy, were born with it. Just me. And it scared people. I mean, who walks around with a giant red design sprawling out over half their face.

I began to play the guitar, singing one of my songs that I had written, 2 years ago.

_I stared up at the sun,_

_Thought of all of the people, places and things I've loved._

_I stared up just to see_

_With all of the faces, you were the one next to me._

I paused, my hands trembling. Even though I had sang this song a million times, it always makes me feel like, well, I don't know.

_You can feel the light start to tremble,_

_Washing what you know out to sea._

_You can see your life out of the window tonight._

_If I lose myself tonight,_

_It'll be by your side._

_I lose myself tonight..._

_Oh yeah, yeah, yeah._

Such Irony, I thought to myself. I know nothing about love and yet here I was, singing to a girl that I didn't know.

I put the guitar down and went to my desk. I picked up the letter. Behind it, was a second sheet of paper, showing all our our classes, and the class president bios.

My class president was named Erza Scarlet. The name hung with me, but I brushed it aside. She was Co captain of the track team, valedictorian 3 years running. Not to mention, Student Council President. Damn, that girl was the whole package.

I sighed, running my hands through my long blue hair. Unfortunately, I was going to have to meet with her. The unfortunate part, she'd take one look at me and probably snort in disgust. I play no sports, my grades were somewhat average, and I had absolutely no social skills. I'd become the class freak. As usual.

I looked over at my guitar, laying on my bed. At least I have my music, I thought to myself.

"Jellal Fernandes!" I heard Juvia shout. "You better be packing and not moping around in that messy room of yours!"

"I am!" I shouted back, putting on my best lying voice. I stared around at the room.

What am I getting myself into?

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><p><strong>AN: song credits to Onerepublic, "if I lose myself."**

**So, how do you like it so far? Leave a review, and of course, thanks for following and favoring. Love ya guys!**


	3. Intersecting Paths

_They say life is like a road. It can go up, it can go down. It twists and turns in strange and unexpected patterns, and sometimes, it stops, forcing you to turn around and go back the way you came, until you find the right path again._

_It also meets with other roads, at an intersection. This is where they meet, for the first time. Sometimes, they part, never to see eachother again, but sometimes, they merge into one._

_**Erza's POV**_

That idiot! I thought to myself, storming down the school hallways, a scowl on my face. Here I was, bright and early on Monday morning, waiting for the stupid new kid to arrive. After all, it's only fair that the class president show the newcomer around the school, ne?

Except the new guy- Jellal something?- never showed up. His sisters, Juvia and Wendy, both bluenets, arrived, but not him.

"Gomenasai," Juvia had said, a tall girl with long, wavy blue hair and matching eyes. "Jellal isn't the most social person in the world."

Social my ass. The guy was outright rude, making me wait like this.

I opened the door to my homeroom. Inside, Gray, Natsu, and Lucy were lounging in their desks. Several others from our class were there, Cana, who was sneaking drinks from a flask hidden under her desk- totally not suspicious at all, Levy, the bluenet with her nose hidden in her book, and her boyfriend Gajeel, a member of the Football team. Then there was Laxus, captain of the football team, sitting with his girlfriend, Mirajane, captain of the cheerleader team.

Jeez, we're just a class full of jocks and pretty girls, I noticed. I hated that kind of status. That's why I was so against joining the track team with Lucy, freshman year, but in the end, here I was, Co captain.

Gray looked up and noticed me, a smile spreading over his handsome face. I stormed over.

"I swear to god," I began, sitting on his desk. "That newbie just stood me up!"

Gray looked alarmed, and he put his hand on my thigh gently, caressing the skin not covered by my stocking or my skirt.

"Breathe," he advised. "You need to calm down. Maybe he is sick-"

"His sister said he wasn't social." I said flatly. I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I got here an extra half hour earlier! I had to get ready a freaking hour earlier!" I complained.

Gray's fingers slipped up under my skirt, touching the skin of my upper thigh, making me suck in a breath. All previous thought flew out of my head, replaced with thoughts of Gray and his nimble hands. I looked down at him. "G-Gray," I whispered, my voice suddenly shaking. "What are you…."

"I'm helping you calm down," he said, tracing my skin lightly with his fingertips. I bit my lip.

Lately, Gray and I had been getting more and more daring with our relationship, making out more often, and exchanging braver touches. However, no sex. He and I promised eachother that we wouldn't have sex until we were completely sure. Although, these days, with all the progress we've been making…

I shook my head, and grabbed Gray's hand, stopping his wandering touch. "Are you insane?" I hissed, leaning down and whispering into his ear.

Gray's eyes glittered back. "I've been told that," he replied. "Care to put it to the test?"

My eyes widened, but he leaned forward, pulling my lips towards his. I melted against his chest, fingering the skin on his collarbone. He always kept the top buttons of his shirt undone, for many reasons, including this.

"Oi, will you two lovebirds quit it? I want to keep my appetite today," I heard Natsu drawl.

I broke the kiss off with Gray, who gave a small growl of disappointment.

"Natsu, you never lose your appetite," I said, glaring at him. He sat sprawled out in his desk, his ever present scarf draped around his neck. Next to him sat Lucy, who was absently drawing imaginary designs on Natsu's well muscled arm.

Gray chuckled, and pushed me gently off his desk. "Relax Erza, Natsu just can't make out as well as we can."

Natsu jerked upright, glaring at Gray. "What did you say, you freaky bastard?"

"Will you quit it!" Lucy said, grabbing her boyfriend before he could start a fight. "I've have enough of your shenanigans for one day. Seriously, you can't go picking a fight every time someone opens their mouth!"

I smiled, and took my seat in front of Gray just as the bell rang, and Mr. Jason, our first period teacher, came in. He was a short man- by my standards anyway- and had blond hair. His favorite saying was, "So cool!"

He took his seat at the front desk. "Morning everyone! We have a new student in class today. So cool! His name is Jellal. Ah…umm, where is Jellal?"

I sighed. "Sir, I was supposed to show him around this morning, but he never came. His sisters arrived, but he did not." That baka, I thought.

Mr. Jason sighed. "Oh well, he's missing out on a good lesson today. So cool!"

While Mr. Jason started the attendance, Gray dropped a slip of paper on my desk. I reached out and picked it up.

_Even though you need to relax, you're sexy when your frustrated like this…. -Gray._

My face turned red and I turned in my seat, looking at him. He winked back at me.

I sighed and turned to look out the window, since I had the awesome seat towards the back of the class, right next to the giant glass windows. From this vantage point, I was able to see the front lawns, the picnic tables, everything.

Including the figure standing under the trees. He was wearing a Fairy Tail uniform, the black trousers and the white shirt, school jacket and tie, but he wore a deep blue hood in along with it, the hood up, concealing his face. From this high up, I couldn't tell what color his hair was. Black, blue….something like that. The red on his sleeves indicated he was a senior.

He turned and walked away, heading for the school side door. I narrowed my eyes.

_**Jellal's POV**_

_Roads are fated to meet with others. The same goes with people. In our lives, we are destined to meet other, others who will change our lives for the better, or for the worse. But one thing stays the same. You were meant to meet them._

I slipped inside the school, keeping my hood up. God damnit, I thought. I thought I could do this, walk confidently into the school, meet the class president, be cool, be chill, but one look at the front door, and I bolted.

Now here I was, slipping through the halls, trying to find my next class. Then, as soon as this period was over, I'd slip in and disappear into the crowds.

Why am I so bad at this? I thought, letting my thoughts wander. What was wrong with me? Why can't I fit in? Everywhere I go, I just collapse in on myself.

I thought about Juvia. She was a pro at fitting in. Everywhere she went, she just naturally became everyone's good friend. Unlike me, she was a freaking social butterfly.

And then there was Wendy. She had also inherited the shy gene, just not on the same extreme level as my own. Even though she was shy, she still was social enough to come out of her shell.

And then there was me.

I don't know, ever since Mom and Dad died, I just haven't felt comfortable around other people. Even now, I'm hesitant with my siblings.

Maybe it's because I'm scared that I'll get too close with someone, and they'll end up hurt. Like Mom and Dad.

I sighed. Music was my only friend. It made me feel alive, like I wasn't alone, I wasn't freaky. It made me feel normal. It made me feel like me.

Suddenly, without warning, I walked straight into someone else, knocking us both down to the ground.

"Hey, what the-aieee!" The person exclaimed, crashing to the floor with me on top. I caught a glimpse of something red, and then my face became squashed in something very soft. Extremely soft.

My face turned beet red, and I quickly pushed myself off the girl. Dear good, I just got a face full of her… her…

I looked at her. She pushed herself to an upright positon, her face red, like mine. She had long, luscious red hair and burning brown eyes. She wore the senior uniform, with the red cuffs on the sleeves of her jacket, and something else.

A small brooch, with Senior President written on it.

Holy shit.

I just knocked over the girl I was supposed to meet today.

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. I realized my hood had gotten ripped off, exposing my blue hair and tattoo.

"Crap, I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to do that, really-"

"You must be Jellal Fernandes, " she said in a clipped tone, rising to her feet in her ridiculously long, shapely legs. Her long red hair swirled around her, and she brushed off her clothes.

"I won't ask you why you didn't show up this morning, but I will tell you right now, you're missing first period."

I gaped. Never before had someone dismissed my tattoo like it was yesterday's news. I mean, most people freaked out at the sight of it.

I eyes her body, clad in the uniform. She was curvaceous, the clothes fitting her body in all the right places. She was beautiful. Stunning.

My hear began to flutter in my chest, and a warm feeling rose up in me.

What is this feeling?

She stretched a hand out, a softer look in her brown eyes. "Come on," she said. "I'm Erza Scarlet. Let's get you to class."

I looked at her hand. Do I…do I…?

I reached up and took her hand. "Jellal Fernandes," I heard myself whisper.

She grinned. "Hello, Jellal." She said, pulling me up firmly until I was standing. I looked into her eyes, feeling more confident than ever.

"Hello, Erza."

_And once these two roads merge, they are inseparable. Nothing can part them, nor prevent them from joining as one. It's inevitable, they will come together eventually._

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><p><strong>AN: I got this rush of writing done, what's better than to publish it? Right? Always good to get fast updates.**

**So, yay! Erza and Jellal meet. What's in store...find out later!**

**Drop a review, tell me whatcha think, and thanks for everyone who has reviewed so far. Not to mention, the follows and the favs! Thanks so much for all the support!**

**Until next time (which may be later today, I have written more chapters...) See ya soon!**

**-Wolfspirit44**


	4. Demons

_We all have our own demons, lurking inside of us. No matter how much we try and suppress them, they remain, haunting us._

_It's hard to fight our own demons. As hard as we try, we aren't strong enough on our own. But letting someone else in, letting them see your demons, could be your only salvation._

_The right person could rid you of all your demons. You just have to find them._

_**Erza's POV**_

My heart would not stop fluttering. This boy, oh my god, this boy.

His long blue hair was shaggy, his eyes were a deep green, almost brown. The tattoo around his eye made his whole face all the more attractive.

I shook my head, leading him to the classroom. I looked over my shoulder. He was following me, his eyes glued on me. I blushed, then turned around.

What are you doing, Erza? I scolded myself. You have Gray, an incredibly sexy, amazing, sweet, athletic-

"Erza?" Jellal asked.

I stopped. Oh god, his deep baritone voice…

I turned and looked at him. "Yes Jellal?" I heard myself say. I cursed at the tremor in my voice.

"Listen, I'm sorry that I didn't show up before, I-I I'm not the greatest when it comes to being social. .."

"I understand, Jellal," I said. Wait - I understand? Only about 15 minutes ago I was calling this dude an ass for standing me up.

Jellal shook his head. "No, I stood you up. I should've come, but, I am just not comfortable around other people. Gomenasai."

I took his hand gently in mine. His eyes widened and flicked over to mine. "It's ok, Jellal. Not everyone is a socialite. It's understandable. But I'll help you," I said, staring at him. What was I doing?

"You'll what?" He asked.

"I'll help you out of that shell you've been trapped in." I finished.

His eyes glittered with hope and longing. I felt myself drowning in his deep eyes. They were mesmerizing, deep green flecked with bits of gold and brown.

But they were also full of pain.

Suddenly, the bell rang, scaring me. Then I realized how close Jellal and I were. Like, if I had leaned forward anymore, I would've been kissing him.

He blushed and let go of my hand, just as the doors to the classrooms opened. I cleared my throat awkwardly looked anywhere but him.

Just then, an arm slung it's way around my shoulders. Jellal's eyes widened, and I turned my head just in time for Gray's lips to land on mine.

"Hey gorgeous. Who knew you'd try to skip class like that?" He said, after we broke apart.

"I was not! I went to the bathroom and then I ran into Jellal," I said, gesturing to the frozen figure standing in front of me. Gray turned and looked him over, while Jellal's green eyes still bored into me.

"You must be the new kid. Hey, I'm Gray Fullbuster. Nice to meet you."

Jellal ripped his gaze from me, and looked at Gray. "Likewise," he said through gritted teeth. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He nodded at the both of us, his gaze lingering on me. Then he turned, and melted in with the rest of the kids walking in the hallway.

"Hmm, he seems weird." Gray mused. I glared at him. "He's just uncomfortable with people. Give him a break, he just got here!"

Gray raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm sorry!" He said, his eyes wide.

I sighed, putting my head to my forehead. Dear god, what am I doing? What is this stupid feeling that I have?

"Come on, Gray. Let's go find Lucy and Natsu."

Gray nodded and took my hand, leading me in the opposite direction of Jellal's departure. I found myself looking back.

Jellal Fernandes.

_**Jellal's POV**_

I sat outside, hanging out in one of the large trees on the campus. Screw class, I thought to myself.

Erza Scarlet had a boyfriend.

I clenched my fist. The one person I have the confidence to talk to has someone. Here I was, thinking that maybe, just maybe, she and I would have someting. I'm such a fool.

I could still feel her lips, so close to mine, see her deep brown eyes. Smell her perfume, the scent of strawberries and vanilla. Could feel her hand in mine.

I looked down at my hands. "You're such and idiot, Fernandes." I muttered to myself. "Did you really think you'd be able to form a relationship with the most popular girl in school?" Just saying that made me realize how absurd I was.

I looked at the building. Erza was somewhere inside, along with her boyfriend, Gray. I remember reading about him in the Magnolia News. He was Co captain of the soccer team, and he had recently been accepted to Magnolia University, to play soccer. Magnolia University had the best college soccer team in all of Fiore, winning the state championships for 10 years running.

Each are captains of sports teams, I thought bitterly. Such a wonderful combination.

I sighed. I was barely here for an hour, and yet I was falling for another guy's girlfriend. And track captain, class president, and council president, for that matter.

Erza. Erza. Erza. The name danced on my tongue. I pictured her long red hair, cascading in gentle waves down her back. And her words.

_"I'll help you out of that shell you've been trapped in."_

Little did she realize how much those words effected me. On one has ever been able to crack through my shell. I never let them, fearing that they'd end up hurt.

"_Mama, why did you marry Papa?"_

_She looked at me from the passenger seat of our car. "I married your father because I love him."_

_"And that you brought out the best side of me. Remember?" My father said, while driving. "I used to be such an idiot, but you just brought out every good thing in me."_

_My mother laughed. "That's why I'm here. To bring out the good in you."_

_I looked at her in confusion. "What does that mean?" I asked. She smiled. "When you're older, my dearest Jellal, you'll understand."_

_I opened my mouth to say someting, but then, Dad swerved, trying to avoid the deer that had jumped into the road. I saw headlights, heard my parents screaming, and then I blacked out, an enormous pain exploding in my head._

I sighed, wiping the tears that were running down my face as I relived that horrible day, 13 years ago. The pain of losing them was still strong.

I looked back up at the school._ "When you're older, my dearest Jellal, you'll understand."_ Yeah, I understand that everyone that I love comes into danger.

I jumped down from my tree branch, and began to make my way to the dorms. I wasn't about to go back to school today. I needed a break, and I needed to see some old friends.

**_Erza's POV_**

"Hey, Lucy, can you take over practice for today?" I asked, standing at the front gates of the school. She nodded, her arm in Natsu's. "Sure thing Erza. What's up?" She asked.

"I need to run to Crocus to get some new sneakers. Mine are getting beat up." I said. Sure, I could go to the mall here in Magnolia, but Crocus had the best athletic shop in all of Fiore.

"Ohh, can you get me some new spikes? Mine are wearing out, and Coach doesn't have the ones that I need." Lucy asked. I nodded. "Yup. Anything else?"

"Can you get me a hamburger and fries," Natsu said, only half joking. Lucy punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Natsu, shut up." She advised.

I chuckled and turned, waving goodbye. I had already told Gray, I told him I'd meet him when I got back. The four of us, Nasu, Lucy, Gray and I, were planning a movie night in the senior common room tonight.

I got on a bus heading to Crocus- why use up my own gas when I could get on a bus for free (perks of being in high school)- and sat down.

Jellal didn't show up to class this afternoon, I thought to myself. I had been waiting for him, god knows only why.

I sighed. I couldn't stop thinking about him. Especially his eyes. They were full of pain and suffering, yet there was a tiny sliver of hope deep down. I couldn't imagine what happened that caused him to feel so much sorrow in his life. Maybe that's why he's so uncomfortable around others. Something must have happened for him to become this unsocial.

I sighed. Thinking about him made me feel guilty about Gray. Sure, I did like Gray, but it's hard. I've known Gray all my life, we've been friends longer than we were dating. I knew everything about him, he was like an open book.

And then Jellal shows up, the suffering youth with the mysterious past. He was like a puzzle, waiting for me to solve. He and Gray were total opposites. If Gray was the day, bright, clear and warm, Jellal was the night, dark, aloof, and obscure.

I sighed. The trip to Crocus took a good two hours. I felt my eyes closing, and soon, I fell into a light sleep.

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><p>"Alright, everything's done," I said, walking down the streets of Crocus. It was about 5 in the afternoon, the sun just beginning to dip in the sky.<p>

I had all my item in my hands, and I was heading for the bus stop. It was a long, yet successful day, I decided. Now I could go home, watch a movie and-

Wait. I paused, and took a closer look at a sign for a small bar. It had a poster on it, and I took a closer look.

The band, "Redemption" tonight at 5:15. Playing their own original songs. Come and see!

I read the names written at the bottom of the list: Simon- bass, Sho- guitar, Wally- drums, and…..

My eyes widened.

Jellal Fernandes, lead singer and acoustics.

Without another word I ran into the bar. There were only a few people inside, the bartender and three others, a man and two women, but i could only stare at the band sitting in the corner. One man in particular.

His blue hair shone in the dim light, and his face was looking down, concentrating on the guitar he held in his lap. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a black v-neck, showing his angular collarbone and a small peek of his smooth chest. It defined his abs and showed off his well muscled arms.

Dear god, please, don't let me be drooling, I prayed.

I sat down at one of the empty tables, in the shadows. Jellal looked up. "Alright, so we're gonna start off with a new one," he said, playing a few chords on his guitar. "Enjoy."

Then he opened his mouth and began to sing.

"_When the days are cold_

_And the cards all fold_

_And the saints we see_

_Are all made of gold_

_When your dreams all fail_

_And the ones we hail_

_Are the worst of all_

_And the blood's run stale_

_I wanna hide the truth_

_I wanna shelter you_

_But with the beast inside_

_There's nowhere we can hide"_

I was mesmerized by his voice. His eyes were closed while he sang, and he was pouring all of his emotion out into the song.

_"When you feel my heat_

_Look into my eyes_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide_

_Don't get too close_

_It's dark inside_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide"_

The song reminded me of him, oddly enough. He seems composed on the outside, but take one look into his eyes, and you see what's haunting him. The urge to find out more about him rose within me.

_"Your eyes, they shine so bright_

_I wanna save that light_

_I can't escape this now_

_Unless you show me how_

_When you feel my heat_

_Look into my eyes_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide_

_Don't get too close_

_It's dark inside_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide"_

The song ended, and Jellal looked up. His eyes raked the room, and landed on me. I watched as they widened in shock. I smiled and clapped lightly. "Amazing." I mouthed, giving him a thumbs up.

He smiled tentatively. It was a beautiful smile, I thought. I want him to be able to smile more.

I will help him break out of that shell.

_And once you have found that one person, only they can see your demons. Only they can help. Just let them in. Let them free you._

_Remember, only they can do what others cannot. They are the only one that can free you._

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><p><strong>AN: does anyone have a guess as to what happens next?**

**Song credits to Imagine Dragons, "Demons."**

**I hope you like it, please, leave a review. Thank you for everyone who has reviewed, followed, and/or faved- much appreciated.**

**See ya soon!**

**-Wolfspirit44**


	5. The Red String of Fate

**A/N: first off, let me start off with thanking everybody who had supported this story, whether from reviewing, following, or favoring. It means so much.**

**I'm so glad you all like it so far. Things are now gonna get really heated.**

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><p><em>They say there a small red string attached to you and the one person you're meant to be with. The legend comes from an old Chinese myth, where the gods tied a little red thread around your hand, and tied the other end to that specific other. The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break.<em>

_**Jellal's POV**_

"You were amazing! How long have you been playing?" Erza asked me excitedly, sitting next to me on the bus.

About an hour after my gig, I left the other back in Crocus, accompanying the redhead back home.

"13 years," I replied, "I picked up the guitar after my parents died. Then Simon, the big dude who played bass, approached me and asked if we could start a band. I've been playing in that band for about 5 years."

Erza placed a hand on my arm, sending electric shocks zipping through me. "I'm sorry about your parents. May I ask how they died?" She said gently.

I sighed. "We were driving on an unplowed road, going to pick up my sisters from nursery school the weather had turned foul, and the teachers wanted all the parents to flick up their kids before the storm got any worse. While we were driving, a deer jumped out into the road. My dad swerved to avoid it, and we ran right into an oncoming car. I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, I was in the hospital with a broken arm. But worst of all, Mom and Dad were gone."

Erza put a hand to her mouth, her eyes glassy. "Jellal, I'm so sorry," she breathed, genuine sorrow in her voice.

I patted her hand. "It ok. I've gotten used to it. I feel bad for Juvia and Wendy though, they were too young to even remember Mom and Dad. Juvia might, but Wendy, not a chance. Wendy was only a year old."

"my parents are divorced," Erza began. "Then my mom contracted cancer, and my dad wouldn't lift a finger to help. She died a year after. I refused to talk to my father anymore, so he sent me to Fairy Tail."

She looked at me. "Is that why you have a hard time socializing. Because you had such a traumatic experience?"

God, I wish that was it. Little did she know of my curse. Or, what seemed to be a cure. That every person I seemed to love ended up dead.

"I guess," I lied, shrugging. "I guess it just destroyed my self confidence."

Erza suddenly leaned up to kiss my cheek. I flinched, shocked at her bold move. "Thank you for sharing that story with me. I am truly sorry for you loss," she whispered. "And I want you to know that I'm here for you. I know you're struggling with losing your parents. But I want you to know that I'll help you find a way to live happily again."

I blinked at her declaration. No one has ever said that to me before. Everyone else thought I was a lost cause.

Except for Erza.

_**Erza's POV**_

We made it back to the dorms at 8. Jellal and I walked in together, going down the hall to the senior lounge. I had offered Jellal to join in on the movie night. After a little bit of persuasion, he finally accepted.

It made me glad.

His past saddened me. He was lost in the world, saddened by the horrific loss of his parents. And the worst part was that he witnessed it too. No wonder why he was so shy.

And yet, I had the feeling there was something else, something he wasn't telling me.

I entered the room. Gray and Natsu were facing the gigantic TV screen, playing a wizard gamd, while Lucy sat on one of the plush couched, knitting what seemed to be a red, woolen rug.

"Are we having fun?" I asked. Lucy looked up from her knitting. "Hey Erza! You're back! And- who's this?"

Natsu and Gray looked over to me. Gray's face lit up when he saw me, then he caught sight of Jellal, standing right behind me. His face fell, and he looked suspiciously at the bluenet.

I stepped forward, pulling Jellal in with me. "Hey guys, this is Jellal. He and his sisters just moved here."

"Oh, you must be Juvia's brother. She showed me how to knit! And now, I'm making a scarf!" Lucy said excitedly, holding up her gigantic blanket-scarf-contraption. I gigggled, quietly.

Gray came over and took the bags from my hands. "Jellal," he said quietly. He nodded curtly at him. Jellal frozed. Gray stared icily at him.

Natsu jumped in. "Hey, Jellal, I'm Natsu, Co captain of the soccer team with this lazy son of a bitch over here. Nice to meetcha!"

"Oi, what did you call me, flame brain?" Gray snarled.

"I called you a lazy son of a bitch cuz you are one!"

"Oh yeah? Well, who's the one who got accepted to Magnolia University over here? Oh right, me!"

"Boys," I said. "Let's not start a fight in the pristine, nice, neat senior lounge, ok? Otherwise, your cleaning it up and I'm kicking you our of this school."

They gulped. "H-hai…." They both murmured.

I stepped over to the couch. "So, what movie are we watching?" I asked. Gray shrugged. "I forget…something about a phoenix princess?"

I blinked. "Sounds good enough," I said, plopping down on the couch. I patted the seat next to me and looked at Jellal. "Pop a squat, Mr. Fernandes."

He blinked, then shyly came over, and sat down next to me. Gray came over and sat on my left, immediately wrapping an arm around my shoulders. Natsu joined Lucy, who set aside her basket of red thread on the floor.

About an hour into the movie, I got up, intent on finding a bowl of popcorn, or strawberry cake. I loved strawberry cake.

I didn't stop to think, that since it was dark, I would trip over something. Especially when that something happened to be Lucy's basket of yarn.

"Aiee!" I screamed, falling flat on my face, the yarn immediately getting tangled up with me.

"What the-"

"Erza!"

Suddenly, the lights were turned on, and three pairs of worried eyes looked down at me: Lucy's, wide-eyed and concerned, Gray's, surprised and humorous, and Jellal's, concerned and hesitant.

"Help?" I squeaked.

Gray grabbed my hand and pulled me into a sitting position. He looked me over, noting the string wrapped around my wrists, my hands, my head, my entire freaking body.

"Jeez, Erza!" He complained, beginning to unwrap the yarn. Lucy and Jellal pitched in, Natsu joining after a minute or two.

Soon I was mostly untangled, just a few stubborn pieced tangled in my hair. I picked furiously at one tied around my wrist- it must've knotted and tightened in the struggle. I yanked hard on my wrist.

"Woah!" Jellal suddenly exclaimed, falling forward. I looked hard. He had wrapped a batch of string around his wrist, wrapping more as he went along. The current piece of string he was neatly wrapping around his wrist was the same one attached to my hand.

"Crap, sorry Jellal!" I gasped. He pushed himself to a sitting position and looked at me, noting the piece of string in his hand, and how it connected to the one around my wrist. He sighed.

"You really got tangled, didn't you?" He asked, coming over. He took my hand and deftly began to untie the string. I looked at him, seeing the fine detail on his handsome face.

Suddenly, Gray pushed Jellal's hands out of the way. "Thanks, Jellal. I got this. Can you help Lucy out, untangling the rest of the thread?"

Jellal looked at Gray. "Sure," he murmured, backing away from me. I sighed, then focused my attention on Gray. He bent down next to me.

"I don't know about him," he whispered, gesturing back to Jellal, who was helping Lucy and Natsu untangle the rest of the thread. "There's something off about him."

I glared at him. "Seriously? Gray, he just got here! He's had a hard past, and some difficult problems in his life!"

Gray glared at me. "How do you know so much about him?" He hissed, ripping the piece of string off my wrist.

I stood up, glaring at him. "I don't want to hear it," I hissed back, stomping out of the lounge, intent on heading to my dorm.

"What's with her?" I heard Lucy ask.

"We didn't even finish the movie!" Natsu complained.

"Should we-" Jellal began, but I ran up the stairs, his voice fading.

I ran to my dorm, but before I could enter, a hand grabbed my arm and flung me around. I slammed Into my door back first, and the same arm crashed next to my head.

Gray stood facing me, one hand holding my arm flat against my side, and the other hand braced flat against my door, effectively penning me in. We were breathing heavily, and Gray stared deeply into my eyes. I flinched at the burning intensity in his gaze.

"Erza, you're my girlfriend. I worry about you. I'm just trying to look out for your welfare," he gasped. I glared at him. "I don't need you looking out for me 24/7," I said back.

Gray snarled. "God damnit, Erza, can't you see that I want to protect you?"

He suddenly leaned in, kissing me hard on the lips. My mouth was open in shock, his tongue plunged in without hesitation. His forceful kiss sent all the breath whooshing out of my lungs, and my brain short-circuited.

I protested, he took my hand and slid it onto his chest, parting his collared shirt, until it was resting against his beating heart.

He pulled away from my lips. "Erza, my feelings for you are as strong as ever. So it worries me when you get too close to another guy."

My chest heaved. "G-Gray," I murmured.

He leaned in again, and pressed his lips against mine, without the desperate passion he just had moments ago. It was a different kind of passion, reserved, yet still wanting. I sighed and kissed him back.

We stood there for what seemed like ages, kissing passionately, hands roaming up and down each others bodies, until Gray finally pulled away. His eyes were gentle as he pushed a few locks of red hair out of my face.

"Get some sleep, ok Erza? I'll see you tomorrow." He whispered, and I nodded mutely. He smiled and placed one more kiss on my forehead, before walking away. He disappeared down the hall.

I sighed. I loved Gray, I really did love him, but lately, all I could truly think about was Jellal. Part of me knew that Gray and I were better if we were just friends. My whole being longed for Jellal.

At that very moment, the blue haired young man stepped into the hallway. He froze, seeing me still standing outside my door.

I stared back at him. Jellal, Jellal, Jellal, my mind screamed out. I held my breath. Will he…..will he come?

His eyes locked onto mine. Even from this distance, I could still see the dark green. They burned with a hidden feeling.

He walked towards me.

_Even if that string gets tangled or stretched, it can never be cut. For it was decreed by Fate, that no matter what, nothing can prevent the destined lovers from being together. You cannot fight what Fate has destined for you._

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><p><strong>AN: So, whatcha think? Leave me your thoughts in a review!**

**Thanks for everything!**


	6. You Found Me

**A/N: I am loving all your positive reviews. Thank you so much. As well as the follows and the favorites! I'm so blessed.**

**To Cassiesensei: yes, I came up with the italic parts on my own, thank you for the compliment!**

**And now, let us continue...**

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><p><em>According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.<em>

_Until we find our second half, we wander the world, lost and alone, until we are found._

_**Gray's POV**_

I sat in the deserted senior lounge. It was just me in there, Natsu and Lucy left, no doubt to have some "fun."

I sighed. This evening was especially tough. Erza was always a handful, but tonight was extrememly rocky.

Sure, I loved her, I really did, but it's hard to have a relationship with someone you've had your entire life. We knew eachother so well, there were no surprises in our relationship.

And what's a relationship without surprise?

I sighed and put my head in my hands. Lately, I felt like Erza and I were slowly growing apart. It was hard. Part of me wanted to hold on, but another part of me was still looking for something, something else.

Erza would kill me if she knew my feelings. But I couldn't help it. Part of me knew that it was best if Erza and I stayed friends. As much as I hate to admit it…

Suddenly, a tall girl with long blue hair entered the lounge, her dark blue eyes searching the room. They fell on me.

"Excuse me," she said in a clear, sweet voice. "Have you seen Lucy Heartfilia?"

I gawked. Who was this gorgeous beauty? Pale, porcelain skin, long, shapely legs, curvy body. Her short back dress only emphasized her curves. I hoped to god I wasn't drooling.

"Lucy's probably with Natsu," I said, trying my best to remain calm. Meanwhile, my heart was going a thousand times a minute. "You're probably going to have to find her in the morning."

"Oh, Juvia was hoping that Lucy would tell her more about the school," she said, gesturing to herself.

So she speaks in third person, I thought to myself. That's actually, kinda cute.

"You must be Jellal's sister," I said, noting the blue hair.

She smiled happily. "Yes, Juvia is Jellal's younger sister. Juvia is a junior. And you must be a senior."

I raised my hands. "You got it."

She giggled and sat down next to me on the couch, smoothing out her dress. "Well, since Lucy is not here, would you like to tell Juvia more about this school?"

I stared into her deep blue eyes, my heart pounding. I'm surprised she didn't hear it.

I found a smile spreading on my face, and heard my voice say, "Sure thing. Not a problem."

She smiled.

_**Wendy's POV**_

I was walking down the school halls with Chelia. We were coming back from the cafeteria, snagging some last minute popsicles before heading to our respective dorms.

"I love this school," Chelia sighed blissfully, sucking on her orange-creamsicle popsicle. I had gotten a lemon flavored one, and I sighed happily. "The ice cream is amazing," I agreed.

I looked up just in time to see a young boy, about my age, walking down the hall towards us. He had dark hair, coming closer I could see that it wasn't black, but a very dark purple. He also had very dark blue eyes. On top of his black jeans and navy blue shirt, he looked like the night sky. His eyes stared right at me. I blushed and looked away. Chelia looked at me, then giggled, noticing my reaction to the very cute boy walking towards us.

"Looks like someone has a crush," she whispered. I jumped. "No!" I murmured back, my heart pounding and my face red. "Chelia, it's not-"

"It could be love! Why don't you talk to him? After all, I think Romeo likes you" She pressed, her eyes dreamy.

I gaped, my face literally steaming. "C-C-Chelia!" I stammered. My eyes slid over to Romeo, who still had his eyes fixed on me.

Suddenly, without a warning, she gave me a shove, sending me flying into the arms of the boy. Chelia giggled. "Oh Wendy, I'm sorry about that. I just realized, I need to run. Romeo, will you show her to her dorm?"

"Chelia, wait-" I began, but she took off down the hall with a wink. I turned and looked up at the boy who was holding me to his chest firmly, interest in his dark blue eyes. "Your name is Wendy?" He asked.

I blushed and nodded.

He smiled, and ran a hand through my hair. If I could have blushed any more, I would have. "I like it. Well, Wendy, my name is Romeo. It's nice to meet you, under the circumstances."

I laughed, and a smile came to Romeo's face.

"Why thank you, Romeo. You are certainly a gentleman."

He smiled, and I pulled back from his chest. He grabbed onto my hand, making me blush. Again. Only for the millionth time.

"How about I do as Chelia said and get you to your dorm? It'll give me the chance to talk with you more." He said, a hopeful look in his eyes.

I smiled, a warm feeling building in my stomach. "Ok," I murmured, glancing down at our intertwined fingers. He turned.

"Alright then. Let's go."

_**Jellal's POV**_

_It is said that when the two halves finally find each other, there will be an unspoken understanding of one another. Together in unity and utmost bliss, they would rejoice in their reunion, knowing no greater joy than that._

I walked towards Erza, my heart pounding, my palms sweaty, my mind reeling. I walked until I was a foot away, until I could see the confusion and yearning in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Erza," I breathed.

"Jellal," she whispered a few tears running down her cheeks. I frowned, concerned. "What's wrong, Erza?" I asked gently, hating to see her in pain.

"I'm confused," she murmured, in a small voice. "I have feelings for you even though I'm with Gray. I'm confused at why you won't let me know why you're hurting so much. I'm just so confused."

My heart pounded. "Erza…" I began.

She slid down to the floor. "It's hard for me to be with Gray. We've known each other for so long, there are no surprises in our relationship. I do love Gray, but I believe we're better off as friends."

She looked at me. "And then I met you. Right away I felt a connection with you, but you're hiding something from me."

She put her head in her hands, hiding her face from me.

I sank down to my feet across from her. Her shoulders shook, and I could tell he as crying.

I pulled out my guitar, from where I had it slung over my back. Hesitantly, I strummed a few chord.

It had an immediate effect on her. She raised her head, and stared at me, her eyes red.

I looked deep into her eyes, willing my emotion out to her. I feel it too, I thought.

Then I opened my mouth and began to sing.

_What day is it? And in what month?_

_This clock never seemed so alive_

_I can't keep up and I can't back down_

_I've been losing so much time_

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right_

_I'm tripping on words_

_You got my head spinning_

_I don't know where to go from here_

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_Something about you now_

_I can't quite figure out_

_Everything she does is beautiful_

_Everything she does is right_

I looked at her. Tears were streaming out of her eyes, but her eyes were full of happiness. I smiled tentatively at her

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_And me and all of the people with nothing to do and nothing to prove_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_What day is it?_

_And in what month?_

_This clock never seemed so alive._

I played the last chord. When I stopped, Erza sighed "Jellal.." she murmured.

"Erza, there is another reason why I can't socialize with others," I began. "it all started after my parents died. And I never told anyone this."

Erza grabbed my arm until I was sitting next to her. I leaned my back against the concrete wall.

"I had a hamster, probably when I was around 8 years old, just three years after my parents died. One day, after I got home from school, I found it, struck dead. And it was only a year old. And that's not all. My aunt died about three weeks later, followed by my grandfather. Two years after, my uncle died from a car crash, my cousin survived, but she was in a coma. She never woke up. She died a week later." Retelling these stories were hard, I could never bear to bring them up. "Everyone I loved started dying. I was so scared. I began to push Juvia and Wendy away because I was afraid that they would die too. Juvia came close to it once. She was walking on a road and someone almost hit her. They came up out of nowhere."

I looked at Erza desperately. "That's why I'm so afraid to being close to you. Erza, every one I love ends up dying. I don't want you to be one of them." My voice choked up, and I closed my eyes, dropping my head into my hands.

"Jellal," she murmured.

I shook my head, not looking up.

"Jellal," she said, a bit more forcefully, grabbing my chin and forcing my head up. I stared into her eyes.

"I know you think that you're cursed, but you're not. Fear has made you believe that you are. Don't let it hold you back. Don't let it prevent you from making friends, or finding love. Don't let it shut me out from your life."

I gasped and grabbed onto her arms, pulling her into my chest. She gasped, but relaxed, falling into my hug. I buried my face in her hair, breathing her in.

She pulled away, only to lean back and rest her head on my shoulder. "Don't let fear rule your life," she whispered.

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><p>I opened my eyes suddenly. I blinked. I was sitting in the girls hallway, a heavy weight resting on my shoulder. I looked down.<p>

It was Erza, sleeping soundly, her hair falling in her face. I looked down at my watch. 2:30.

I sighed. We fell asleep, I thought to myself. I looked at Erza. Better get her in bed.

I hesitantly held her and sttod, picking her up into my arms. She murmured, but didn't wake up. Her form fit perfectly into my body, melding perfectly to my chest. Like she was made to be my perfect other half.

I opened the door to her dorm. Inside, it was furnished with a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf, full of dog-eared novels. I noticed a few: A Tale of Two Cities, Catcher in the Rye, The Odyssey.

I gently placed her down on her mattres, grabbing a blanked and throwing it over her. I turned to go.

Suddenly, her hand reached out and grabbed on to my sleeve. I blinked, then turned back to her.

"Sing to me," she murmured. Just until I go to sleep."

I nodded. I quickly went out to the hall and grabbed my guitar, then reentered her room, closing the door softly behind me. I made my way to her bed, my throat dry.

I sat down next to her side, and placed my guitar on my lap. I began to play softly for her. Her eyes fluttered closed, but I could tell she was still awake.

_You touch these tired eyes of mine_

_And map my face out line by line_

_And somehow growing old feels fine_

_I listen close for I'm not smart_

_You wrap your thoughts in works of art_

_And they're hanging on the walls of my heart_

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_And though I may not look like much_

_I'm yours_

_And though my edges may be rough_

_I never feel I'm quite enough _

_It may not seem like very much_

_But I'm yours_

I trailed off, noticing she was asleep. I set my guitar down. "Thank you, Erza Scarlet." I whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She murmured, but didn't wake.

I leaned back on her bed, watching her sleep. She was so peaceful. Her long lashes fluttered in her sleep, and her face looked like an angel.

Maybe it was the darkness, and the late hour, not to mention Erza's beautiful face, that I started to feel drowsey. My eyes closed, and I faded into unconsciousness.

_It is a wonderful time when two halves join together again. A moment of pure joy and happiness, knowing that you have found you other half, and that you will never be alone again._

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><p><strong>AN: ok, so the first song was "You and Me," by Lifehouse. Number two was "I'm Yours," by The Script.**

**I hope you liked it, leave me your thoughts in a review!,**


	7. The Inevitable

**A/N: sorry, this was a tad late, I wrote this at 2:30 in the morning. So if there a several spelling mistakes, gomenasai.**

**Sheesh, I'm tired. But it's so worth it! Enjoy! That's for all the reviews, follows and favorites! Remember, keep at it! It makes me so happy when you do!**

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><p><em>You can't choose the person you will love. You can't fall in love on purpose. You can't choose love. It chooses you.<em>

_**Erza's POV**_

My eyes opened. Early morning sunlight was streaming in, landing on my face. I looked at my clock. 7:45. " Crap! " I exclaimed, shooting upright and a dumping a blue haired young man off my bed. I blinked in shock. What the? What's going on?

The young man groaned and opened his green eyes, hazy with fatigue, and stretched out his muscular limbs.

"J-J-Jellal?" I stuttered, my face turning red. I frantically patted my hair down and straightened my shirt. Oh my god, my inner school girl squealed. Jellal spent the night!

His eyes opened wide, realizing where he was. He sat up cautiously. His burning eyes locked onto my own, his face turning a lovely shade of red.

" E-E-Erza," he gasped. He looked around, his movements jerky. " Oh crap, oh god, oh my-"

"Jellal, " I said, before he could go into hysterics. He paused, looking at me with wide eyes. I almost had to laugh at the situation. Jellal and I, passing out in my room. It was quite hysterical, despite the fact that we were in deep if we were caught.

"We'll figure something out, " I said, putting on my council president attitude. The last thing he and I needed was to freak out-well, we could do it internally ( I know I was ). We needed to remain calm.

That is, until someone began to knock frantically at my door, calling out for me. My eyes widened. It was Lucy.

Jellal's head whipped around, his nostrils flaring and his eyes wide,full of panic. And of course, my alarms went off, and I frantically jumped out of bed. I grabbed Jellal's arm urgently, getting his attention. " In the closet!" I hissed, pulling him towards the small door. I flung it open. Inside tons of clothes were hanging or shoved inside the small space. I shoved Jellal in, his face full of confusion.

"Erza-"

"Hide!" I hissed. "And be quiet!"

I slammed the door and took a closer look at my face in the mirror, which was attached to the closet door. My face was bright red, and I hoped to god Lucy would think that it was from the heat.

I raced to the door, and threw it open. Lucy stood there, a wild look in her eyes,waving her phone around frantically. "Erza," she gasped. "What were you thinking?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

She fiddled with her phone for a second, then hurriedly showed her screen at me. I took the device and peered down at it, my eyes widening in disbelief.

It was a photo of me. And Jellal. Sleeping in the hall. My head was on Jellal's shoulder, his cheek resting on the top of my head. Jesus Christ, that was not good.

"Where the hell did you get this?" I asked,my voice deadly quiet. Lucy sighed. " Freaking Evergreen snuck into the hallway and found you two. She took a picture of you, and ran before a hall monitor caught her."

I snarled, and turned towards my desk, grabbing for the phone that I barely used. Damn Ever, I thought to myself. This girl was a pain in my freaking ass, ever since freshman year. Immediately, she saw me as a threat for most popular, prettiest, athletic, yada yada yada. Such bull. Like I care about those trivial things.

I snatched my phone and turned it on. I had a text from- yup, you guessed it- Evergreen. Clenching my teeth, I opened it.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT-NOT SO FLAWLESS NOW, EH, SCARLET? It read, showing the picture Lucy had just shown me.

I chucked my phone across the room. It landed perfectly on my bed.

"Is it true," Lucy said. "Are you cheating on Gray?"

"NO!" I half screamed. "Ever is just trying to make me look bad. Yes, Jellal and I fell asleep in the hallway. He was playing a couple songs for me, since I'm like his only friend. But that's it!" Well, there is the part where he's hiding in my closet, and how he spent the night, but I decided not to give Lucy that juicy, but otherwise, unnecessary piece of information. That'll probably make the situation a heck of a lot worse. Not that it wasn't already.

Lucy sighed. "You gotta find Gray,and clear everything up. He's probably pissed."

I sighed. "You're right," I murmured, heading to the closet. I froze, my heart pounding, hand on the door.

"Erza, what's wrong?" Lucy asked. " O-oh nothing, " I said lamely. If I could tell how badly I was lying, chances were, Lucy did too.

"Yeah, and you're probably pissed, " Lucy said, surprising me.

I looked hard at my closet door, willing my thoughts through the thick wooden barrier, to the poor guy behind it. Please, please, I begged silently. Jellal, please be hidden!

It's now or never. I said a quick prayer and flung the door open. Clothes, shoes, and no Jellal. I sighed in relief, pulling out an extra uniform. I silently thanked Jellal and closed the door quickly.

Lucy closed the door behind her. "I can't believe Ever. That nerve! Like you'd want to date anyone else but Gray!"

I flinched. Little did she know how false she was. I wanted Jellal. Badly.

I ripped off my old clothes, running to the dresser and pulling out a bra and panties. "Lucy," I said. " Can you run to your room and get me your mascara? I'm out!"

She nodded. "Sure, be right back!"

She turned and opened the door, slipping out into the hall. I quickly changed, pulling on my uniform. "Jellal, get out here!" I hissed, sitting on my bed and pulling on my thigh highs.

I heard a few thumps, a couple muffled curses, and then Jellal emerged, his hair ruffled, clothes disheveled, and a t-shirt hanging off his shoulder. He plucked it off of him and gently tossed it onto my bed.

"How good are you at climbing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He blinked, realization dawning in his eyes as he realized my intent. "You're kidding, " he began. I shook my head, turning towards the window next to my bed. "You're lucky I have a fire escape outside," I warned, opening the glass panes. I gestured to him. "This is the best I can do. Unless you'd like to explain to Lucy what you're doing in my room."

" Who's Evergreen?" He asked, striding to my window. I sighed in exasperation. "She's a desperate girl who hates my guts. She took a picture of us sleeping last night and sent it to the entire school."

Jellal looked mortified. "Crap," he said, "What do we do?"

"Breathe, Jellal. I can handle this. You worry about getting out of here."

He looked at me uncertainly, but climbed out the window. Before he descended, he took one more look at me. "Thank you," he murmured.

I smiled and waved him on. He disappeared down the ladder, just as Lucy popped back in. "Here you go," she said, placing the container in my hand. "I had an extra one, so you can have it."

Quickly, with a long developed skill and a practiced hand, I put the mascara on. Finally ready, I turned to Lucy. "Let's go," I muttered.

I straightened my shoulders, grabbed my door handle, and stepped outside. Several other girls were wandering abiut, shooting glances at me and whispering. I glared at all of them evenly. "I truly hope that none of you believe this nonsense. Ever is being a coward, attacking me in this lowly manner. I will have a word with her. You can bet on it."

I slammed my door and walked briskly forward, brushing past girls frozen in fear, reverence, whatever, Lucy followed closely behind. I reached the stairs and too them two at a time, heading up to the boy's floors.

When I reached their designated living quarters, there was no one in the halls. Everyone else was pretty much off to class, only seniors today got to start at ten. Yay for seniors

I reached Gray's door and slammed furiously on it. I heard some rustling, and a "God damnit, I'm coming!"

The door opened, and Gray was revealed, wearing a pair of dark gray sweats. His cross shaped necklace gleamed on his bare, muscled chest. He eyes me catiously.

"Are you here about this?"He asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, turning it on and showing me the photo. I glared. "Jellal was showing me a song he wrote. We fell asleep. We woke up, I went to bed, he left. That's all." I sighed. "I cant believe that Ever would stoop this low."

Gray sighed, and leaned against the door frame. He sighed. His eyes traveled to Lucy, who was standing awkwarld, some distance away. "Lucy," he said. She looked over at him. "Can you do me a favor and go get Natsu up? I need to talk to him, and you know what he's like on a sleep in day."

Lucy snorted. "No need to remind me. Please, the guy would sleep the day away if he could. I'll get him up," she said, trudging away.

Once she was gone, Gray turned his attention back to me. "Erza," he began gently. "I know I might've seemed a bit hard, I'm sorry. I just got jealous. I'm sorry."

I sighed. "I'm sorry too. I know it seems like Jellal and I have been way too close, but I swear, I'm only his friend. He's still getting used to the new setting. He lost, Gray, so lost. He had a terrible past, and that's what caused him to close up. I'm just trying to help."

Gray bit his lip. I stood there, awkwardly rubbing my arm. After a minute or two, Gray gave me a hesitant held his hands out to me. "Come here," he murmured. I blinked, and held out a hand to him. He took it gently and pulled me close, wrapping me in a warm hug. I breathed in his scent, smelling the familiar odor of his colone.

"Ok," he murmured against my hair.

I laid my head against his chest. After a minute just standing there, Gray finally broke the silence. "What are you going to do about Ever?" He asked.

I jerked away from him, anger returning to my eyes. "I almost forgot. Thank you for reminding me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a very important matter to take care of," I snarled, heading back down the hall. "Just don't kill her. I don't think Elfman will be too happy with that," Gray called to my retreating back.

"Elfman can go shove it up his ass," I replied. "I don't care!" Elfman was Ever's boyfriend, a gigantic guy on the football team. Who cares? I'll just kick him in the place where it counts.

I raced down the steps, murder on my mind, looking for a particular senior with long, dirty blonde hair and glasses.

She was gonna pay for this.

_**Jellal's POV**_

I was able to catch up with Juvia today. She was in the school library, in study hall.

"Hi, Jellal!" She said happily. I smiled and sat down at the table she was at. A calculus textbook sat open in front of her, however she abandoned it immediately.

"Hi Juvia, how have you been? How's Wendy? I'm sorry I don't see you girls as much."

She chuckled. "Wendy is doing fine. She's made several friends, and caught the eye of a young boy, Romeo Conbolt. She's very happy."

"And you?" I pressed.

Juvia sighed dreamily and put her chin in her hands. "Oh, Juvia is wonderful. Juvia met this amazing, handsome, young man yesterday. He was so funny and intelligent. He was a gentleman too, walking Juvia to her room and even giving her a hug. Oh, he was so handsome."

"Who is this dream guy?" I asked, interested. It's not everyday your sister meets a decent guy.

"Gray Fullbuster," she smiled, then suddenly froze."Wait a second! What's this rumor about you and the class president? You're stealing Gray's girlfriend?"

I shook my head frantically. "No, nothing, I accidentally fell asleep. I swear, it was accidental. I was showing her my music, since she's only one who's accepted me here." The lie was so smooth, I almost believed it.

Except my heart was completely, irrevocably, fully, head over heels for this girl.

Just that, you know, she's with another guy. Typical love story.

A guy that got a little too close with my sister last night. I narrowed my eyes. Juvia cocked her head, her blue hair falling gently down her back. "Jellal, are you alright?" She asked, concern in her voice.

I smiled. "I'm sorry. It's nothing, Juvia. I just realized that I need to ask a teacher something. I'll see you later." She smiled. "Sure thing. Live you, big bro!" She called. I smiled at her.

I walked out of the library, into a hallway, heading for the common room. I needed to find Erza. I rounded the corner, and froze.

Gray was leaning against the wall, his school jacket slung over his shoulder. His white shirt showed off his bare collarbone, showing part of his necklace. His dark eyes, fierce and narrowed, burned into mine. He pushed off the wall and strode towards me. My heart fluttered, a bit nervous. From his body language, he was upset.

"Listen, Fernandes, I understand that you're still getting used to the new setting, but you steer clear of my girlfriend. Got it?" He hissed. He sounded threatening, but under the bravado, I could hear his reluctance and sense his hesitation. He didn't really mean it. I wondered why.

Suddenly I felt confident, confident enough to to stand up for myself. An image of Erza, with her steely eyes hard, her determined mouth set, her red hair flying about her.

"Oh yeah, Fullbuster? Then keep your hands off my sister!" I shot back.

He staggered back, like he'd been shot. "I-I," he began, his eyes wide.

"Listen, Gray, I'm sorry that Erza and I got too close," I said, trying to be cordial. "But I swear, I'm not trying to infringe on your relationship. Please, I-" I broke off suddenly, looking hard at Gray. He had slid against the wall, holding his head in his hand. "I-I can't," he murmured. "I can't do that."

I blinked. "Excuse me?" He paused and looked at me, his eyes pooling with anguish. "Jellal, I-"he gulped, his eyes scared, "I think I'm falling for your sister."

I felt my blood draining from my face. "W-what?" I spluttered. Was I hearing this correctly?

Gray sighed, seemingly almost relieved that the truth was out. "I try not thinking about it. I love Erza, but when I met your sister yesterday, something just clicked. I don't know how to explain it."

I had lost the ability to speak, still shocked at Gray's sudden confession. A third of me was saying, "whaaa..?" Another third was celebrating, and another third was still afraid to love out of fear. I was very torn up. Welcome to the wonderful life of Jellal Fernandes, everyone.

"Please, don't tell Erza!" Gray said. I shook my head. "That's something only you can say. Only you can talk to her about this." When the hell did I become this knowledgeable about love? I was the last one who should, with the smidgen am out of experience I had.

Gray looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, your right." He suddenly looked at me. "She loves you, you know that?"

"What?" I asked dumbly, my mind still processing everything. My heart began to pound.

"I hear it in her voice, when she talks about you. Her voice is full of passion and yearning. I see it in her eyes, the way they linger on you, and when they fill up with emotion when you're near. I see it in her body language, the way she tenses when you pass by, like she wants to chase after you. I know she loves you. It was inevitable, Erza and I are not meant to be. We may love eachother, but her love for you goes beyond anything. We were not meant to be. I think she was meant to be with you." His eyes glittered, sadness welling up. I could tell how hard it was to accept the fact that he and Erza were no longer working out.

He sighed. "I've been dreading this. We've had our ups and downs, which have just pushed us further and further apart. I tried to bury this, but the outcome would be the same. We can't fight Fate."

I was dumbfounded. Gray was giving me his permission? But it gave me hope. Hope for the future. My fear was slowly dissipating.

Gray smiled at me, and held out his hand. "I'm sorry about being so against you. You're a good guy, Jellal Fernandes. Thanks for opening my eyes."

I offered him my hand. "I didn't exactly do anything though, Gray." I murmured hesitant. He chuckled, and grasped my hand firmly. "You did a lot more than you realize. Thank you. Now I have to find Erza. We have to talk."

He released my hand. "See you around, Fernandes," he said.

I watched him disappear. My shoulders relaxed, and I felt my heart filling with happiness. My only thought was of Erza.

We had had a chance.

_It's futile to fight back against love. No matter what you do, it's like fights against Fate itself. You can't choose who to love. Love chooses for you, and you can't fight it. There is no fighting the inevitable. Love is love, it knows no boundaries. Let it lead you, and it will always guide you in the right direction._

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><p><strong>AN: well, I hope you enjoyed it. And I'm possibly gonna change this to an m rating-try out my first lemon. Eep! What do you guys think? Yes, or no, leave it?**


	8. A Fresh Start

**A/N: gomen, gomen, gomen! I'm sorry for the late update. I hate school, that really defines why this was late. There is way too much homework. Gomenasai!**

**So, I really hope you like this chaptwr, I hope it was worth the wait!**

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><p><em>Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Do what you feel is right, in that very moment. Even though you may not think the time is right, it is. You just have to take that leap of faith and jump.<em>

_**Erza's POV**_

My face went completely red, and all thoughts of vengeance flew out of my head, like birds in the fall. I gaped, wide eyed, at the scene unfolding in front of me.

Gajeel and Levy. On the teacher's desk. In an empty room. Doing unspeakable things to eachother. Not to mention extremely innappropriate.

Gajeel's shirt lay discarded on the floor, and he was pressing Levy down on the desk. Levy's hands were gliding up and down Gajeel's back, raking her nail over the skin. I could see her bra through her partially open shirt, and see Gajeel's hands doing- well, definitely not PG rated things.

"Holy. Crap." I said. Levy and Gajeel froze, hearing my voice, and slowly, Gajeel's head rose from his administrations on Levy's body. His eyes widened.

"Well, shit," he mumbled. Underneath him, Levy squeaked in alarm and furiously closed her shirt back up. Gajeel quickly scrambled off of her, and she sat up, her eyes wide. Gajeel chuckled nervoulsy, what seemed to be a smidgen of fear in his voice.

My face was still red, I could feel the heat pouring off my body. I wasn't sure what to do. It was like my brain completely shut off.

"Get dressed," I whispered shakily, saying the first thing that would come to my head. I felt like a fly caught in amber, slow, and confused. "And get ready for class."

I shook my head and whirled around, slamming the door behind me. Once it was shut, I leaned against it heavily, my mind blank. I could still feel the blush on my cheeks, spreading across my whole face.

Holy crap, that was something I could've gone my whole life without ever seeing.

Who would've thought that sweet, innocent, little Levy McGarden would get all hot and heavy with Gajeel Redfox? I mean, duh, they were dating, but Levy was Levy, conservative and innocent, and then there was Gajeel, who was, well, clueless. The thought of them actually doing that was crazy- I knew for sure that if I hadn't found them, things would've progressed to more x-rated thing. I still couldn't believe that they would do it. Oh well they were teenagers after all.

I blinked, trying to get my thoughts back together. At any other time, I would've flipped out and probably would've beaten the crap out of Gajeel, but my mind was still registering what had happened. It freaking caught me by surprise.

I looked at the time on my phone. It was 9:30, and I had a half hour before my first class, "Fiorian History," began. Gahh, history class. I shuddered. At least I had some time. I decided to go up to my dorm and grab my bag. Maybe find Lucy and head to class together. Find out what Gray and Natsu were fighting over next. Break up the riot if needed. Seemed like a decent plan.

I walked down the halls, heading for the dorm building, which was connected to the classroom building by a walkway over the schools driveway into the back parking lot. I liked hanging out here, in this particular spot. Especially when the sun was setting. Such an amazing view. Most people weren't out at that time, they were either hanging out in the common rooms or in their own dorms. I had this sky bridge all together myself. I liked to collect my thoughts there.

I walked into one of the common rooms, still keeping an eye out for Evergreen. It seems like she was avoiding me. Not that I blame her. I could be very, well, revenge happy at times. This was one of those extreme cases.

There was a white haired girl sitting with a taller bluenet on the couches. I recognized Lisanna Strauss, the junior class president and Mira's younger sister, but I didn't know the blue haired girl. I walked over.

"You two didn't happen to see Ever running around here, did you?" I inquired. Lisanna shook her head. "No. She's probably hiding. I don't know why she would post something like this, she knows that opposing you is a bad option." Lisanna shook her head wearily, and then gestured to the girl next to her. "Hi, this is Juvia, Mr. Fernandes's younger sister. Juvia, this is Erza Scarlet, senior class president, as well as our Student Council President."

Juvia smiled at me, and reached out a long, slender hand. "Hi Erza," she said happily. "I hear you're helping Jellal out around here."

I grasped her hand firmly and smiled at her. "Yes, he seems to be getting used to the school now," I replied.

"Oh, Erza," Lisanna suddenly said. I turned and looked at her. "Gray was looking for you. I think he said he was going to wait at your dorm."

I nodded, and smiled at Juvia. " Alright, gotta run, Gray call. See you around." I said to Juvia, shaking her hand one more time. She nodded. "Of course," she replied.

I began to walked towards the stairs, then suddenly turned to look at them. "Wait a second, why are you guys here? Shouldn't you be in class?" I asked. Lisanna smiled. "We have study hall right now. I was just asking Juvia a few questions about her former school, to see if there was anything we could do to make her feel more comfortable."

"Oh, ok," I said, mentally slapping myself. Damnit, I thought. I should've done that! Why didn't I?

Because ever since Jellal came, you've become a daydreaming little school girl who can't focus on anything else, a small voice told me.

Shut up, I shot back. Wisely, it didn't respond.

I nodded to the two juniors again, thanking lisanna once more, then turned and headed up the stairs. I made my way to the 3rd floor and opened the door. Leaning up against my door, third room down the hall, was Gray, a tired look on his face. He looked up and saw me, giving me a smile. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Hi," I murmured, immediately feeling the tension in the air. What is going on with him?

"We need to talk." He said. My heart began to pound. I nodded mutely. He pushed off my door and waited while I unlocked it, opening it and leading into my room. I sat on the unmade bed and looked at him.

He closed the door behind him and came over, sitting on the bed next to me. He made no move to take my hand, or anything like that. He looked at me.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I was nervous, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You love him, don't you," Gray murmured. I froze, immediately knowing who he was talking about.

Jellal.

I stared helplessly at Gray, unable to say a thing. Gray smiled. "Erza, it's ok," her murmured, finally taking my hand. "You can tell me. I've kinda figured it out."

"How do you not hate me?" I croaked. Gray shook his head. "Erza, I think you and I both know that this isn't working out for the both of us," he said. "We've been pulling away from eachother."

Even though I wanted to deny it, I knew he was right. Still, I was so upset.

"Gray, Gray, I'm sorry," I murmured, a few tears falling from my eyes. Gray shook his head, and reached up, wiping away my tears. "Erza, don't cry. It's best for us, you and I both know it. I love you, and I always will, but you're meant to be with Jellal. I can see it in your eyes. You want to be with him when he's not around, I can see the longing in your eyes."

"What about you?" I asked. His eyes got a faraway look. I knew that look. He was thinking about someone. "I'll find them." He said. I wanted to laugh. He already found someone. But I was glad. Glad that he had found someone who could love him in the way that I couldn't.

Gray squeezed my hand. "Erza," he murmured. I looked up at him. He leaned in, never taking his eyes away from my face. He touched my cheek with his hand, and deftly, pressed his lips to mine.

I kissed him back, feeling the goodbye on his lips, tasting it on his tongue.

He broke away from me, gently brushing a strand of my hair out of my face. "Erza," he murmured.

"I will always love you too, Gray," I whispered. I would. Gray meant so much to me, I truly did love him, but my love for Jellal was on a whole different level.

Gray smiled. "I'll love you too," he said, rising from my bed. "I'll have to go," he whispered. I nodded, and watched as he walked away. He glanced once more at me, then opened the door and slid past, disappearing into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind him.

I sat there for a minute, my mind blank. Then, all my emotions came rushing back to me. I couldn't hold it in. So I did what anyone else would do: I collapsed back onto my bed and bawled.

_**Jellal's POV**_

I sat in my desk in classroom 1A, sitting through an extremely boring lecture on Fiore's history with Mr. Gildarts. I stared at Erza's empty seat in front of me. I'm surprised I haven't burned holes into the back of it by now.

As little as I knew about Erza, I did know one thing: Erza Scarlet was never late. And it was 10 minutes after the bell.

Suddenly, Gray walked, in, his face emotionless. He quietly gave Mr. Gildarts his late pass, and quickly took his seat next to me. I'd almost forgotten that he was late too. Did that mean what I thought it meant…?

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He glared at his notebook, furiously writing. His eyes, I noticed, were watery. That's when I knew.

He suddenly ripped his page out, and when Gildarts wasn't looking, he plopped it onto my desk. He wouldn't meet my eyes.

I grabbed the paper and slid it behind my books, so Gildarts wouldn't see. I looked down at it.

_Go see Erza._

I looked over at Gray. His dark eyes were burning. Go, he mouthed. You have to go to her.

I looked to the front of the room. "Mr. Gildarts, may I go to the bathroom?" I asked. He looked at me. "Who're you again?" He drawled.

I sweat dropped and the rest of the class laughed, except for Natsu, who was out cold, snoring quietly. Lucy giggled behind me, and even Gray, who was looking do forlorn and depressed, cracked a grin.

"I'm Jellal. Jellal Fernandes. I just transfered here," I muttered, pink forming on my cheeks. Gildarts scratched his head. "Jellal….yeah…uh huh, fine, go," he said, turning back to his notes. I got the feeling that Gildarts didn't give a crap who I was. Not that I cared anyway.

I got up from my desk and walked out of the classroom quickly, trying to ignore the few giggles that followed me. Once I was outside, I broke into a sprint, racing towards the dorm. I dodged past a few girls- maybe freshman, ignoring the questioning looks on their faces. I rand down the halls, across the sky bridge that connected the dorms to the actual school, and ran towards the girl's side.

I took the stairs two at a time, flinging open the door that led into Erza's hallway. I ran to her room, and knocked quickly on her door, panting and huffing, completely out of breath.

There was some shuffling, and then the door opened, revealing Erza, whose eyes were red and puffy. She saw me and her eyes widened. She stepped into the hall and hurriedly closed the door behind her. "Jellal-" She began, but I interrupted her, grabbing her and pulling her to my chest, holding her close. She gasped at first, then relaxed and laid her head on my chest, right over my pounding heart.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, smoothing her hair down. She shook her head. "No," she murmured back. "It's ok. It really is."

She pulled away from me so she could look into my eyes. "Even though it's hard, I'm not completely losing Gray," she said. "We're best friends. It just wasn't meant to be."

I blinked. "Erza," I began, but she put a finger to my lips. "Jellal, I know that you're still having problems in opening to people, but I want you to know that it's alright. You've suffered enough. Break free, and live."

Her words effected me. How could one person completely change my life like this? I asked myself. How does she do this? Take a person left with no hope, and somehow, give him something to believe in. How?

"May-" I gulped, my palms beginning to sweat. "May I kiss you?" I asked her tentatively. Her eyes widened, and I instantly regretted it. She was going to kill me. I flinched, closing my eyes to brace myself for her rejection that was sure to come. Or possibly the punch.

Suddenly, her warm lips were against mine, and I opened my eyes in shock. She grabbed onto the lapels of my jacket and pulled me closer. My hands dropped down to clasp her hips, and I pulled her in close. My eyes closed in rapture. I wanted to freeze time, stay forever locked in this moment with Erza.

I felt her tongue flick against my lips, and I opened my mouth. She swept in, and I flicked my tongue against hers in response.

She moaned, and that little sound made me go wild with lust. I moaned and pushed her against the door, bracing myself with one hand. Our lips never parted. I didn't want them to. I was breathing her in, tasting her. She tasted of mint, like toothpaste. I growled against her lips, pushing her further against the door, wanting to feel her whole body against mine.

She smiled against my lips. "That was so sexy," she whispered. "I don't think that can get any sexier." My eyes flashed open, and I stopped the kiss briefly. Her eyes bored into my own, her cheeks flushed. "Erza…" I murmured, crashing my lips against hers.

Her hands flew up and began to undo the buttons of my shirt, until it hung open over my bare chest. She ran her hands up and down my body, tracing the planes of my stomach, the outline of my abs. I shuddered, and moaned at her touch. Her hands were graceful, turning me on with her light caresses.

I broke away from her kiss and leaned my forehead against hers, panting. Her hand continued their ministrations on my skin, and my body trembled with need, with wanting.

Her hands skimmed the waistline of my pants, her fingertips occasionally slipping under the fabric. I hissed. If we continued, nothing would stop me from pulling her into her room, throwing her down on the bed and- god, I needed to stop this.

I pulled away from her, hearing her sigh. I looked at her. Her face was red, her hair was tousled, her lips were swollen from my kiss. She never looked more beautiful.

"Erza, I don't think now is the right time," I said, my voice hoarse. "It's too soon. I'm not turning you down, it's just that it's way too early."

She chuckled. "I think you're the first guy to ever say that to a girl. But it's not a bad thing." She said.

I smiled back, grabbing the front of my shirt and buttoning it up. Erza's eyes were on me the entire time, watching me. Once I finished the last button, she grabbed my hand. "I don't want to go to class today," she whispered. "Can you stay with me?" Her large brown eyes stared deep into my own, with a pleading look. Who could say no to puppy eyes? You'd have to have a very strong willpower, and I did not.

I paused. Sure, I totally would skip class anytime, especially for Erza. I grinned. "Sure thing." I said, squeezing her hand. Her eyes lit up.

"Ok," she whispered, opening the door. She led me inside, and I quietly closed the door behind us.

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><p>We ended up laying in her bed for the rest of the day, undisturbed, left completely alone. We talked about our lives, my music, her track, just our lives in general. I told her stories about Juvia and Wendy, and she in turn told me the antics of Team Natsu.<p>

At some point I had taken my shirt off, and Erza changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top. It had gotten extremely hot.

Erza began to trace my skin lightly, while I held her close to my chest. Her fingers glided down my stomach, then back up again. It felt amazing. I held her tighter.

After some time, her ministrations began to make me drowsy. My eyes kept closing, and I desperately tried to stay awake. But to no avail. I yawned, closed my eyes, and sank into darkness, feeling Erza's warm body pressed against mine.

_Taking a chance is risky, but doing it to for the one you love, that's a risk worth taking. So, take that risk, plunge in. You'll never have a better chance than this._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: so I am going to change this to an m rating, since you all asked so nicely. But I'm not gonna make things lemony for at least a few chapters, just to let me figure things out. Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and likes!**


	9. How to Save a Life

**A/N: well, thank you to everyone who has kept up with this story. And especially for all the reviews, favorites, and likes! Arigato!**

* * *

><p><em>If you can learn to control your fear, to be able to work through it, to get what you want, you'll be able to get everything you've been held back from. Fear is not something you can just ignore and be rid of for the rest of your life. But it is something that you can master. It's something that needs to be dealt with each day, coming out and trying to keep your dreams at a distance. Control your fear instead of it controling you.<em>

_**Erza's POV**_

I looked over my shoulder. It was about 3 in the afternoon, and Jellal was still sleeping on my bed. His lashes fluttered in his sleep, and he twitched occasionally. His face looked so much more relaxed in sleep, like he let go of all his sufferings. He looked free.

I got up from where I was sitting at my desk, and walked over to the edge of the bed, staring down gently at Jellal's prone form. I reached out a hand and stroked his cheek gently.

Suddenly, his eyes opened. I jumped. "I'm sorry," I breathed. "Did I wake you?"

He smiled and shook his head. "It's alright," he murmured. He reached out a hand. "Come here."

I gulped, but took his hand nonetheless. Suddenly, he pulled me forward, falling into the bed. When I stopped moving, I realized that he was on top of me, pressing me down firmly into the mattress. His eyes, burning with passion, stared deep into my own.

"Jellal…" I breathed. He pressed down onto me, and I moaned when I felt his hard member brush up against my skin.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" He murmured, running his hands up and down my body, torturing me with his gentle touches. I writhed and moaned.

"I've waited too long, and I can't wait anymore." He whispered, bending down and kissing me. His hands made their way to the buttons on my shirt.

What is going on? I thought to myself? How did this happen so fast?

My thoughts flew through my brain, but then, Jellal kissed me, right on the curve of my right breast. All previous thoughts stopped, and I could only focus on Jellal.

I raised my head slightly. He had unbuttoned my shirt conpletely, exposing the dark blue bra I was wearing, and was gently kissing the swells of each breast. His eyes latched onto mine. I gasped as he began to push the fabric out of the way, his mouth coming down, closer, closer, closer….

Suddenly, I shot to a sitting position, my eyes opening up wide. I looked around frantically. It was just me in my bed, but Jellal's shirt was laying on the floor. The bathroom door was closed, the light on.

Holy shit, I thought to myself, plopping back against my pillows. I did not just have a dirty dream about Jellal. The very thought of it, the feel of his lips on my body, sent a thrill running through my veins and a blush to appear on my cheeks.

The door to the bathroom suddenly opened, revealing Jellal, looking like a model, muscled in all the right places. I eyed his sculpted chest, his broad shoulders, his rock hard abs, his thick arms. God, he was beautiful.

"Hey," he murmured, pulling my thoughts out from the gutters. You gotta give me some slack though, the guy was a serious piece of eye candy. He was sexy on completely different levels than any other guy.

"Jellal," I said, getting up and walking over to him. He smiled gently at me, his eyes full of wonder, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"It feels like what happened was yesterday," he said, reaching out and running his hand down my cheek. "And yet, it was only 3 hours ago."

I looked at my clock. 1:30. We had so much time left in the day. "What do you want to do?" I asked, with absolutely no intentions of going to class.

He looked away. "Well, I do have another gig at 5 in Crocus, with the band. You wanna come?" He looked at me, then added quickly, "You don't have to though-"

I grinned. "And pass up listening to you sing? Not for a million years," I said reaching up and pulling his head down to mine. His eyes widened in shock, then closed in bliss.

His lips molded immediately to mine; I felt his tongue brush against my mouth, begging for entrance. I opened up to him, moaning at his taste. He pulled me flush against his hard body. I could feel his heart pounding in time with mine.

I pulled away. "Let me change," I said breathlessly. I backed away and picked up his shirt from the floor, tossing it at him. He caught in and threw it over his shoulders. "I'll meet up with you at the gates." I finished. He nodded, then walked to the door. "I'll be waiting," he murmured, slipping out. The door closed with a soft click.

I stood there, still drooling like a fangirl, before I shook my head and went back to reality. I grabbed my phone, and scrolled through the contacts until I found the one I wanted.

_Lucy_, I wrote. _I don't care what class you have, or if you're locked in a closet, lip locked with Natsu. Get your butt over here now!_

I sent the text, then quickly made my bed, haphazardly throwing the covers over the messed up sheets, straightening the pillows, hiding any traces of Jellal.

A knock came one my door. "Erza, what's so urgent that you have to pull me out of English?" Lucy said, exasperated. "And why weren't you in class?"

I ran over to the door and threw it open. Lucy blinked at me. "You look like a mix between a lovesick school girl and someone just died," she said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed her arm. "Get in here," I said, pulling her in before she could protest and slamming the door.

"I guess Gray didn't tell you, huh?" I said, facing her. She turned to me, her eyes wide. "What didn't he tell me?" She asked.

I sighed. "Gray and I broke up, on friendly terms."

She put a hand to her mouth, her eyes full of astonishment. "Oh my god," she whispered. "is it because of Jellal?"

I nodded. "Yes, partly. But Gray has found someone else to." I said. "We just weren't right for eachother, Lucy."

"That explains why he kept asking for Juvia," Lucy said. "All day, he's been looking for her."

This time it was my turn for my eyes to widen. "Gray…and Juvia?" I asked. Gray liked Jellal's younger sister?

Lucy nodded. "It seems so."

I smiled. I actually, did not feel sad. I felt extremely happy for Gray, glad that he found someone. Someone who I knew- from experience- that they'd love him for him. I mewn, if Juvia was anything like Jellal, she'd love him forever.

"So, with all that aside, what's up?" Lucy asked. I shook my head, getting back into gear. "Well, Jellal asked me on a date." I began.

Lucy immediately squealed, and I cringed. Lucy could be, well, a bit more of a fangirl than I could be, and that's saying something.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, racing to my closet and throwing it open. "So you and Jellal are hitting it off! Oh my god! Where's he taking you? I'm so glad you pulled me out of English for this! Oh my god!"

"He's taking me to Crocus to hear his band," I said. Lucy squealed again. "He plays in a band too? Oh my god, that's so sexy. Just as sexy as Natsu playing soccer!"

I sweat dropped. "Okay Lucy, let's just calm down now. Help me pick out an outfit, will ya?" I cautioned, not wanting her to get too hyped up.

She looked excitedly in my closet, the reached in and grabbed something, throwing it at me. "Well, you gotta wear your lucky jeans, ne?" She said, diving back into my closet. I grabbed the article of clothing and held them up.

It was my favorite pair of pants, skinny, lowrise gray jeans with multiple tears in them.

Lucy wiggled back out of my closet with a black shirt in her hands. I knew immediately what it was. It was a sleeveless tanktop, with a see-through lace cross in the back. It went up and down my whole back, and would completely show my skin. "Wear a bandeau,"she advised. "But wear this with your combat boots, and you'll look sexy as hell."

I grabbed the outfit, and gave Lucy a grateful look. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" I asked her. She punched me playfully. "Get dress, Scarlet. Let me get your makeup together," she retorted, hurrying into my bathroom while I stripped, going into my dresser for some clean undergarments.

"Where's your eyeliner?" Lucy called out to me. I pulled on my jeans, hopping a bit to squeeze into them. "It's in the top drawer, next to my tweezers!" I shouted back, grabbing a belt. There was some rustling, then a "Thank you!"

I pulled on my shirt. It might get cold later, I thought. I went back into the closet and grabbed my army jacket. Just in case.

I ran back to my dresser and pulled out a pair of grey socks. I sat on my bed and threw them on, rolling them up a bit. Then I threw my black combat boots on, lacing them up. The tops of my socks poked out a bit, which was fine.

Lucy came out of the bathroom, and squealed when she saw me. "Oh my god Erza! You look amazing!" I smiled. "Well, I did have the most amazing friend in the world-"

"Save the flatter for later," Lucy interrupted, giving me a lighthearted grin. She grabbed my chair and set it down in the middle of the room. "Sit." She ordered.

I shrugged and sat down in the chair. She grabbed my brush and began to pull it through my hair, getting rid of the snarls and the knots. Once she was done, she gathered my hair up into a high ponytail, leaving a few strands loose on both sides of my face, and the side bang that covered my left eye. "I really don't have to do much with your hair. It's beautiful."

"Well, same as yours, Lucy," I said. "You have beautiful hair too."

I felt her leave my side for a second. Then she came back, dumping a pair of earrings into my hand. "Wear these," she said. I looked down.

They were silver, dangly, arrowhead shaped. My favorite earrings. I reached up and put them on, feeling the familiar weight on my ears. Lucy looked at me, narrowing her eyes. Then she nodded, "Perfect!"

She then grabbed my mascara, wielding it expertly. "Close your eyes," she said. I did as she was told, then felt the pulling on my lashes as she dragged the brush over my eyes. After a minute or two, that was replaced with a tiny brush painting a line on my eyelids, just a small coating of eyeliner.

"Done!," Lucy said, I opened my eyes, blinked a few times, then stood up and looked in the mirror.

My lashes were thick and full, the eyeliner adding a bit more definition, bringing out the dark brown in my eyes. My shirt hung loosely over my torso, balancing out the tight look of my pants. Now I'm not vain, but I appreciated my looks, especially now.

I turned and hugged Lucy. "Thank you," I murmured. She hugged me back. "No problem," she said, her voice muffled. "No go. You don't want to keep him waiting, do you?"

I pulled away. "You're right," I said, making my way to the door. "Tell the others where I've gone, and get me my homework, will ya?" I called over my shoulders. Lucy snorted, and I could picture her rolling her eyes behind my back. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said. "Just go."

I opened my door and left, leaving it open. I raced down the hall, opening the door, and flying down the steps. The halls were empty, everyone was still in class.

I exited the building, heading for the entrance to the school. When I got near, I stopped, gawking at the sight in front of me.

Jellal was leaning against the school gates, wearing a pair of black jeans- sexy black jeans- and a white t-shirt. I gulped, catching a glimpse of his six pack his shirt didn't even do do a justice in hiding. I didn't mind though. A denim jacket was slung casually over his shoulder, his guitar stood by his side.

He was staring off into space, but as I walked up, his eyes widened, taking in my appearance. He pushed off the gate and walked towards me.

"Erza," he breathed. I smiled at him.

"You look gorgeous," he said, taking my hand. I grinned. "You look handsome," I replied.

He chuckled and gestured down the road, letting go of my hand. "Well, shall we?" He asked, gesturing to the bus station, conveniently located a block away. "It's probably going to be around 4 when we get there, so maybe we can stop at a cafe before my gig."

I nodded. "Yes, let's."

He smiled, then took my hand once more. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>We made it into Crocus at exactly 4:15, due to an extreme amount of traffic. By then, since Jellal and I didn't have lunch, we were starving. We ran for the nearest cafe and got and table. Jellal sat his guitar next to him, out of the way.<p>

The waitress came by. "I'll have a cappuccino and a slice of your strawberry cake," I said. She nodded at me, then turned to Jellal. "What can I get for you, sir?" She asked him. "I'll have a plain coffee and the BLT," he said after a minute of deciding, then handed his menu to her. She accepted and smiled at the both of us. "Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks," she said cordially, picking up my menu and briskly walking away.

I reached across the table and took Jellal's hand. His eyes flashed open to meet mine. "Hey," I said. "Thanks for inviting me." I whispered. He smiled, squeezing my hand In response.

"Jellal," I said. "I know that you're still scared about this, but I want you to know how happy I am. You make me happy," I murmured.

He squeezed my hand again. "I-" he began, then gulped. "Erza, I'm trying. You've been so patient with me, I really don't know how you do it. I can't even begin to describe how much it means to me, how much you mean to me."

I leaned across the table, pulling his head to me, and giving him a simple, chaste kiss meant to give solace and comfort.

I pulled back, noticing the look of wonder in his eyes. "How do you do it?" He asked. "You took this empty shell and breathed life back into it. You saw something in me when others did not. How do you do it?"

"I believed." I said simply. His eyes widened. "I believed in you, and I still do. Jellal, you may lose hope in yourself, but I won't."

The waitress returned, bringing our drinks and our food. She set a perfect slice of strawberry cake down in front of me, pink, whipped cream, and strawberries on top. My mouth watered.

Jellal and I ate quickly, we still needed to find the location of Jellal's gig. The cake was delicious, I never tasted anything better.

The waitress stopped by and gave us the check when we were done, taking away our empty plates. "I hope you liked it," she said.

Jellal grabbed the check before I could, and quickly put some money down. "Don't worry," he said. "I asked you on the date, so I'm paying. Don't argue with me."

I put my money back in my pocket. "Are you sure? " I asked. He smiled. "Positive. Come on, let's go." He stood and reached for my hand. I took it.

We walked out side and down the emptying streets of Crocus. We were in the more suburban part of the city, rather than the urban section. The buildings were smallet, older, and some were dilapidated. There were small family stores, drug stores, and houses on the streets.

All this time, Jellal didn't let go of my hand. Not once.

We turned down a road, stopping at one of those underground bars, like the ones in the city-well, we were in a city, but you get my point. He led me down the stairs.

I blinked, my eyes adjusting the to the sudden dimness of the place. It was filled with several people, all mingling around a certain area, set up with drums, and a keyboard. Three familiar looking men sat in this area. One was a big, bulky man with a thick jaw and dark hair, tuning a bads. Another was a shorter, blonde boy with dark green eyes and a small black tattoo under his mouth. He was also tuning an electric guitar. And the last man, a think, squares man with black sunglasses, was fiddling with the drums.

Jellal took my hand. "Come on," he said, pulling me forward. "Let me introduce you to some very close friends of mine."

He pulled me towards them. They looked up, greeting Jellal warmly before looking at me. Jellal gestured to me. "Hey guys, this is my friend, Erza Scarlet, Erza, that's Simon on bass, Sho on guitar, and Wally on the drums. Together we make 'Redemption'."

I nodded warmly to the three of them. They greeted me back, Simon reaching out and shaking my hand.

Jellal turned to me. "Why don't you find a seat," he suggested, looking at the time on his phone. "We're about to start." I nodded, gave him a peck on the cheek, then turned and walked away before he could respond. I nabbed a table right up front. I looked back. Jellal was smiling at the others. Sho gave him an brotherly punch. I smiled. He looks so happy, I thought watching him open his guitar case and pull out his beloved instrument. He looks so carefree.

The other spectators also took to their seats, and the lights dimmed even further until Jellal and the others were the only ones illuminated.

"Hi everybody," Jellal said into his mike. He strummed his guitar expertly. "Thanks for coming out today. We are the band 'Redemption,' and we hope you enjoy as we sing to you tonight. Here we go!"

Wally counted to four on his sticks, and the whole band broke out, Jellal rocking his head to the music. He opened his mouth.

_Well you can ﬁght it but you know that you won't get your way in the end_

_Too many people, the King and all of his men_

_And if you're dealing a line of cards_

_Won't you take me to the queen of hearts?_

_And if you're trying to tear down what you see_

_Pack up the stars before you come for me_

_And if you're dealing a line of fate_

_Who's going to tell her the reason I'm late?_

_You took her soul, so incomplete_

_Why don't you stop ﬁghting me?_

_You're in control so why should you be_

_Fighting me? Fighting me? Fighting me?_

I clapped as soon ass they finished, others joining in. Jellal smiled, his chest heaving. I gave him him a thumbs up. He looked over at Sho, who set his guitar down, and turned and walked over to the keyboard.

"Now I'm going to sing a new one that Sho and I collaborated on," he said, gesturing to the blonde, who waved at the crowd.

_Close your tired eyes, relax and then_

_Count from 1 to 10 and open them_

_All these heavy thoughts will try to weigh you down_

_But not this time_

_Way up in the air, you're finally free_

_And you can stay up there right next to me_

_All this gravity will try to pull you down_

_But not this time_

_When the sun goes down and the lights burn out_

_Then it's time for you to shine_

_Brighter than a shooting star_

_So shine no matter where you are_

_Fill the darkest night with a brilliant light_

_'Cause it's time for you to shine_

_Brighter than a shooting star_

_So shine no matter where you are tonight_

It was a beautiful song. I could feel the emotion pouring off Jellal. His eyes were closed, but a smile was on his face.

_Gaze into my eyes when the fire starts_

_And fan the flames so hot it melts our hearts_

_Oh, the pouring rain will try to put it out_

_But not this time_

_Let your colors burn and brightly burst_

_Into a million sparks that all disperse_

_And illuminate a world that'll try to bring you down_

_But not this time._

He was enchanting to watch. His voice was amazing, never missing a note. He was an superstar.

_A thousand heart beats beat in time_

_It makes this dark planet come alive_

_So when the lights flicker out tonight_

_You gotta shine_

_When the sun goes down and the lights burn out_

_Then it's time for you to shine_

_Brighter than a shooting star_

_So shine no matter where you are_

_Fill the darkest night with a brilliant light_

_'Cause it's time for you to shine_

_Brighter than a shooting star_

_So shine no matter where you are tonight_

_Woah-oh, woah-oh, woah-oh_

_Brighter than a shooting star_

_So shine no matter where you are tonight._

He opened his eyes, as Sho played the last chord on the keyboard. The crowd including myself, went wild.

Suddenly, my phone went off. I looked down at it, my eyes opening in shock. It was my father. Usually, if he wanted to talk, he made one of his secretaries do it for him. Him calling himself meant it was urgent. I almost wanted to ignore it, I still hated him for doing what he did to mom. But it was probably emergency, otherwise he himself wouldn't call.

I looked at Jellal, who was singing another song. It'll take 2 minutes, I thought to myself. I rose and pushed my way out for the dive, climbing please the stairs. Outside, the sun had just set, and the stars were just about to come out. I walked a little ways away from the dive and answered my phone. "Hello?"

"Erza," my dad said. "Listen, sweetheart-"

"No, dad," I said, interrupting him. "You do not have the right to call me sweetheart. You lost that privilege when you abandoned me and mom."

He sighed. "Erza, I'm sorry. I sincerely apologize. But, my daughter, I just found out that I have terminal brain cancer and-"

I was so disgusted I almost threw up. "And you want my help?" I asked incredulously. "Where was your help when mom was dying? When I begged- I freaking begged- you to help her? What did you do? You laughed. You freaking laughed, Dad. And you didn't even show up for her funeral. And you know the sad part? It wasn't terminal cancer. If you had helped, she could've lived!" I spat into the phone.

He was quiet. "Erza, I just wanted your-"

"What, dad?" I snarled, tears forming. "My sympathy? My love? Well, all I feel for you is pity. Pity, that you realize now how much you need me. But I don't need you. I'm done with you. I've been done with you for years. Goodbye. And don't call me again."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and clicked the end button. I was pissed. How dare he ask me to come back into his life. I could remember that day clearly. I was on my knees, grabbing the hem of his coat.

"_Father! Please, help Mother! She's suffering! Please father, I'll do anything!"_

_"Get out of my sight," he snarled. "I've told you time and time again that I don't care about her. Leave me be!"_

I dashed away my tears. It's done, I thought to myself. He can't change the past.

Suddenly, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned. Behind me stood a young man with long blond hair. He had a mean look in his eyes.

"Whose this?" He sneered, licking his lips. "A kitten all alone on the streets. I recall no such pretty girls like you around here."

"We can't leave a little girl like you all alone now, can we?" Another voice said. I whipped around to face another boy, this time with long black hair, his eyes narrowed evily. Two other guys came out of the shadows, a boy with shorter blonde hair and a bigger boy, with longer blue hair. I recognized the boy with the shorter blond hair. My eyes opened up wide.

"Sting Eucliffe!" I gasped. He grinned menacingly. The boys surrounded me, pressing me against the wall of a building. Damn I thought to myself. I'm trapped.

Sting chuckled. I glared at him. He was Captain of the Sabertooth soccer team, Natsu and Gray's biggest rival. I remember one time when Gray was badly injured because of this ass. He had kicked Gray solidly in the chest, breaking two of his ribs. He said he slipped and it was an accident. Of course the referees believed him. Gray was out of play for 3 months, and out of the season for the rest of the school year.

Sting walked up to me and ran a finger down my face, down my neck, heading for the neckline of my shirt. So I did what was necessary.

I snatched his hand and bit down hard, feeling the skin split. He yanked his hand away and slapped me across the face. I went down, and immediately, the boy with the blue hair grabbed me, pulling me back up and locking my arms behind my back.

I coughed, feeling blood pulse out of my split lip. Sting glared at me dangerously. "You bitch." He snarled. "I'll teach you!"

He launched himself forward and punched me in the gut. I cried out, pain exploding in my stomach. I collapsed against the blue haired boy's chest.

"Drop her Orga," Sting commanded. Orga- the blue haired boy- let me go, and I fell onto the pavement. I wanted to get up and attack Sting, but my body felt weak.

Suddenly, Sting's foot stomped onto my lower back. I cried out, and turned my head to glare up at him. He cackled maniacally. "This is how I like my girls," he said. "Lying down before me."

He bent down and played with the back of my shirt where my whole back could be seen.

"Sting, she's covered up too much. I recall you like scantily clad girls," the other blonde said. Sting's eyes darkened, and he grinned at me, with a sadistic smile. "He's right," he murmured, eyeing my shirt. "I do like the sight of a girl's body."

He reached down and grabbed the hem of my shirt.

_**Jellal's POV**_

I looked around the dive, wondering where Erza went. We had about a 10 minute break. I walked around the bar, but she was nowhere to be found. On a whim, I went up the stairs.

When I got outside, I saw a small gang of boys surrounding something. I took a closer look.

A tall blonde boy was stepping on something, reaching down. I squinted.

It was Erza. I saw her red hair. He was reaching down and grabbing her shirt. She was in trouble.

Damnit, I thought. I couldn't move. I felt like I was watching my parents die all over again. I should've known! I knew this would happen. I fell for Erza, and now, she was in serious danger. Fear coursed through my veins, and I struggled to keep it down. It wouldn't give in. I let it overwhelm me, and suddenly, I saw clearer. This was my time. I had to save Erza.

I ran forward, fear propelling me. It was odd, fear helping me, but I didn't care. It fueled me onward, sending me towards Erza, shoving a black haired boy and another blond out of my way, tackling the blonde who was molesting Erza. We went down with a shout.

I slammed the boy into the ground. "Don't you dare!" I snarled, punching him across the face. Suddenly, I was grabbed, and ripped off of him. I writhed, but I was held firmly by a large, blue haired boy and the other two.

The blond got up, caressing his jaw. He spat into his hand, and a small, white object fell into his palm, along with a globule of blood. He glared at me.

"Bastard! I'll make you regret that!" He hissed, coming to me and punching me into the face. My head rocked from the blow, pain exploding in my cheek. I coughed, blood spurting from my mouth. He hit me again, this time in the gut. I choked. The others held me in a tight grip.

Suddenly, Erza came up, landing a swift kick in the blonde's manhood. He gasped, pain spreading across his face, and he collapsed. Erza's stood above him, gasping, with blood coming out of the corner of her mouth, but she looked triumphant.

"Steel toed combat boots do come in handy," she growled, kicking the blonde viciously, who still hadn't recovered from her previous attack. He moaned in pain.

She glared at the boys holding me. "Now if you would so kindly take your hands off of him, I might just return this one- she nudged the blonde distastefully, who moaned again- "in one piece. But if not," she nudged her boot near his head. "Steel in the head will definitely not be good for him."

The other boys immediately let me go, and I collapsed to the the ground. They ran over to Erza, who let them pick up the moaning blonde. "You mess with Fairy Tail again," she warned, her voice cold, "And I'll make sure you don't live to see another sunrise."

They scurried away, and she raced over to me. She pulled me upright. "Jellal! Are you alright?"

I looked up at her, and she gasped. Tears were pouring out of my eyes. "This is what my curse does!" I whispered. "It hurts everyone I love, everyone I care about. Erza, this is why-"

She leaned forward suddenly, kissing me, interrupting my stream of thoughts. I forgot what I was saying.

She pulled back, her eyes warm. "Jellal, do not blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. I've had spats with them in the paet. It was just a coincidence that they showed up tonight. I'm glad that you saved me."

I shook my head. "Erza, please, I don't want you to be hurt!"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out some tissues, dabbing at the blood on my face. I winced.

"You saved me, Jellal. If anything, you broke your curse. You didn't let them hurt me. You broke your curse."

I blinked. She was right. I hadn't let them hurt her any further. But still...

She stood up, hauling me to my feet. I swayed a bit, but after a minute, I was fine. She looked at me, and I drowned in the depths of her gaze, filled with happiness and love.

"You saved me Jellal. I couldn't ask for a more clearer sign than that. Your curse is no more."

I smiled hesitantly. My curse….my curse was gone? It felt, freeing.

She took my hand. "Come on," she murmured, pulling me back into the dive. "Sing another song for me."

* * *

><p>I got back on stage, feeling sore, but otherwise, on cloud nine. I felt like the world was on my shoulders.<p>

I turned to the others. "I'm making a song change, guys." I strummed a few chords on the guitar. Simon's eyes widened, and then he nodded.

I turned back to the audience, my eyes finding Erza. She at the table, her eyes sparkling, a smile on her face.

"What would you guys do if it was your last day?" I asked. They Wally signaled, and we began to play.

_My best friend gave me the best advice_

_He said each day's a gift and not a given right_

_Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind_

_And try to take the path less traveled by_

_That first step you take is the longest stride_

_If today was your last day_

_And tomorrow was too late_

_Could you say goodbye to yesterday?_

_Would you live each moment like your last?_

_Leave old pictures in the past_

_Donate every dime you have?_

_If today was your last day_

_Against the grain should be a way of life_

_What's worth the prize is always worth the fight_

_Every second counts 'cause there's no second try_

_So live like you'll never live it twice_

_Don't take the free ride in your own life_

_If today was your last day_

_And tomorrow was too late_

_Could you say goodbye to yesterday?_

_Would you live each moment like your last?_

_Leave old pictures in the past_

_Donate every dime you have?_

_Would you call old friends you never see?_

_Reminisce old memories_

_Would you forgive your enemies?_

_Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?_

_Swear up and down to God above_

_That you finally fall in love_

_If today was your last day_

_If today was your last day_

_Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?_

_You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars_

_Regardless of who you are_

_So do whatever it takes_

_'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life_

_Let nothin' stand in your way_

_Cause the hands of time are never on your side_

_If today was your last day_

_And tomorrow was too late_

_Could you say goodbye to yesterday?_

_Would you live each moment like your last?_

_Leave old pictures in the past_

_Donate every dime you have?_

_Would you call old friends you never see?_

_Reminisce old memories_

_Would you forgive your enemies?_

_Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?_

_Swear up and down to God above_

_That you finally fall in love_

_If today was your last day._

We finished, and Erza began to clap, her eyes brimming with happy tears. But I wasn't done yet.

"This last song for tonight goes out to a very special person," I said. Erza's eyes widened. "This person found me in a dark place, a place where I kept sinking deeper and deeper with every passing day. I had lost all hope, but she found me and brought me back to life. I'd never be the person I am today If I didn't have her. So Erza Scarlet, this one is for you. I'm Yours."

_You touch these tired eyes of mine_

_And map my face out line by line_

_And somehow growing old feels fine_

_I listen close for I'm not smart_

_You wrap your thoughts in works of art_

_And they're hanging on the walls of my heart_

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_And though I may not look like much_

_I'm yours_

_And though my edges may be rough_

_I never feel I'm quite enough _

_It may not seem like very much_

_But I'm yours_

This was the exact same song I had sang to Erza before, only now, it meant so much more. This was my confession to her. Wally joined in with my guitar, setting the beat with his drumming.

_You healed these scars over time_

_Embraced my soul_

_You loved my mind_

_You're the only angel in my life_

_The day news came my best friend died_

_My knees went weak and you saw me cry_

_Say I'm still the soldier in your eyes_

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_And though I may not look like much_

_I'm yours_

_And though my edges may be rough_

_I never feel I'm quite enough _

_It may not seem like very much_

_But I'm yours_

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_I know I don't fit in that much_

_But I'm yours_

The song ended. I looked over at Erza, who had a hand over her mouth, her eyes full of tears. She smiled and wiped her eyes. She looked right at me and mouthed three words.

_I love you._

Only then, in that moment, did I truly feel complete.

_In controlling your fear, you are able to control your life. You can take control, live life to the fullest. You can let go, and finally, be free._

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><p><strong>AN: gomen, that was a tad long, but I hope you liked it! Songs:**

**The King and All His Men- Wolfgang**

**Shooting Star- Owl City**

**If Today Was Your Last Day- Nickelback**

**I'm Yours- The Script.**


	10. Love Her Protect Her

**A/N: I'M ALIVE! Partly, still a bit sick, but a lot better than before. And here is what I promised you, the long awaited chapter. Thank you for waiting patiently!**

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><p><em>The people who love, cherish, inspire and protect you are your guardian angels. They are your friends and family.<em>

_**Gray's POV**_

I was sitting on the couch in the lounge, watching Lucy and Juvia playing a game of Go Fish. They were both really into the game, neither one seemed to be losing. Even though Juvia was a junior, we had accepted her into our little group. She was one of us. I was glad.

As for Natsu, he was sitting on the other end of the couch, playing a game of The Scrolls of Skyrim. I was waiting my turn for a chance to play, but looking at Natsu's status, he wasn't going to be done anytime soon.

Suddenly, Erza and Jellal walked in. I saw them, then turned my head for a second look, my eyes narrowing. Was that….blood, on Erza's cheek?

My blood boiled, and my eyes narrowed. I stood up from the couch, marching over to the couple. Erza's eyes widened, realizing what was going through my mind. She raised and hand and brought it to her lip, which I could now see, was split.

I marched over to Jellal, grabbing the lapels of his jacket, and slamming him into the wall. He winced, his arms weakly coming up to push me away. I could see blood on his mouth.

"What the hell happened, Fernandes?" I snarled. Beside me, Erza grabbed my arm furiously, trying to yank me away from Jellal. In any other circumstance, she would definitely be able to, along with tearing my arm off, but my anger allowed me to stand firm.

Behind me, Juvia and Lucy paused from their game, looking over at us with wide eyes. Natsu got up and came over, his game forgotten. "Erza," he said quietly, his eyes narrowed. I could see the anger in his eyes. Not directed at her, though.

I glared back at Jellal, who looked exhausted. His tired eyes, brimming with sadness, stared evenly into mine.

"Jellal took me to see his band," Erza said. "I went outside because I got a call from my idiot dad, who wanted me to come home because he found out he had cancer."

My eyes widened a little. Erza's father was not the greatest father in the world. I was with her when she begged for her father's help. Well, not exactly. More like eavesdropping outside the window, since she didn't want me to come in. But I heard the whole thing. He told her he wasn't going to help her or her mother, and he did not care. I always knew how much he hurt Erza, but even more than that, he made her the strong woman she is today. I couldn't believe he actually wanted her now.

"After I got off the phone," Erza continued, "a gang jumped me. Jellal saved me just in time."

I looked at Jellal. "Is this true?" I asked him quietly. He nodded. "It's true. They attacked her. I should've come out with her-"

"It wasn't Jellal's fault," Erza interrupted, grabbing one of my arms and pulling me away from Jellal. This time, I let her, and in the next moment, I was standing in front of her. Her eyes were full of anger. "Don't you dare blame Jellal, Gray Fullbuster. It was not his fault. I went out when he was still playing. He didn't know that I had left."

"Do you know who the people were?" Natsu asked, his arms folded, the muscles flexing with controlled anger. Lucy and Juvia came up, Lucy putting her hand on Natsu. He visibly relaxed. Juvia just stared at me, with warm eyes full of concern.

Erza looked at Natsu, then back to me. "It was Sting and some more of the Sabertooth soccer team." She murmured.

Dead silence.

Natsu and I looked at eachother. Sting Eucliffe, I thought, my fists clenching with undiluted rage. The ass who broke two of my ribs, gave Natsu a concussion, and cheated in more than half the games we played against him. The ass who hurt Erza.

I looked over to Jellal. He was slumped against the wall, holding a hand to his head. My anger towards him vanished. I was surprised that he was able to hold his own against the despicable Sabertooth bully. I walked over Jellal, and held out and hand. He looked up at me weakly. His forehead was exposed, revealing the large lump on his forehead.

He grabbed my hand and I hauled him up. "Juvia," I said, and she hurried over to her brother, reaching for him. I handed him over to her, and she led him to the couch. Lucy quickly followed, going for the refrigerator in the corner of the room, hopefully to get him some ice.

I turned back to Natsu and Erza, who's eyes were fixed on Jellal and Juvia, who was tending to her brother. I walked over to Erza. "Are you hurt?" I asked, concerned. She smiled hesitantly, then winced when she stretched her split lip. "Apart from this? I'm fine." She said.

I reached out and pulled her into a hug. She leaned against me, her body trmebling. I smoothed her hair. "It'll be ok," I murmured, trying my best to comfort her. Yes, we had dated, but our relationship was so much deeper than that. This was my best friend, the only person who knew everything about me. Like hell I'd let her suffer.

Natsu looked at me. I caught his eyes. He was still pissed, but then again, so was I. But we couldn't exactly do anything about it. At least, not until the game, which was exactly tow days from now. If Sting wanted to play dirty, then so would we. I nodded to Natsu, and his eyes narrowed in understanding. We'll wait until Friday.

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><p>Juvia and I were walking back from the girls dorms, after walking Erza back to her room. Jellal was still reeling and unbalanced, so Natsu had taken him down to the nurse, to make sure It wasn't serious.<p>

Juvia and I were walking close together, our hands nearly brushing. You could feel the tension in the air.

Suddenly, there was a tug on my sleeve. I stopped, and turned.

Juvia's head was down, but I could see tears coming out from her eyes. She had grabbed the hem of my sleeve, her fingers brushing the skin on my wrist.

She looked up at me, the tears running down the sides of her smooth face. "G-Gray," she whispered. She suddenly collapsed forward.

I caught her in my arms, pulling her into my chest. She clutched onto the thin fabric of my shirt and sobbed. I held her tightly, rubbing her back. I felt terrible. Her brother didn't looks so great. I hoped he'd be ok.

She looked up at me. "Gray," she whispered. "Will he be ok?"

I held her close, and leaned my forehead against hers. Her breath suddenly hitched, and my heart began to pound erratically in my chest. "He's being taken care of by the best nurse around," I whispered. "I know he'll be alright."

She relaxed, and melted against my body. I pulled back from her face and looked at her. She was still crying, and leaned her head into the crook of my neck. I let her, holding her close, running my fingers through her thick, wavy hair. Her body shook, and I held her.

_**Erza's POV**_

I threw myself onto my bed, worn out and still in shock. I had wanted to go with Natsu to the infirmary, but Jellal weakly pushed me away. "Why don't you go to your dorm?" He had whispered. "You need to rest. I'll visit you later." I could see in his eyes, what "later" meant.

I pushed myself off of my bed and stumbled into the bathroom. My whole body ached from Sting's attacks, and I flicked the light on.

I blinked tiredly at the mirror, taking in my split lip, my fatigued eyes. I sighed. My eyes flicked over to the shower.

I stripped out of my clothes, throwing them lazily on the ground, moaning when I stretched out my aching limbs. I caught sight of my body in the mirror.

There was a medium sized bruise on my stomach, just under my left breast. It was from Sting, when he punched me. I pressed on it slightly, whimpering from pain. It wasn't extrememly large, but it still hurt.

I turned on the shower and slipped in, relaxing under the warm water, the water pressure relieving the stress in my aching muscles. I smoothed my hair back.

I didn't even bother washing. I lathered on a bit of soap and scrubbed my body a bit, but otherwise, I just let the hot water soak my body. I stayed in there until the water became cold.

I stepped out, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my body. The mirror was fogged, so I yanked open the bathroom door to let some air in.

I had forgotten to close my door after Juvia and Gray had escorted me back. There was someone on my bed.

They turned towards me, and I caught a glimpse of blue hair, and a red tattoo. I relaxed, only for my face to heat up with realization.

Jellal was in my room. And I was in a towel.

I squeaked in alarm. "J-Jellal!" I stuttered, frantically holding my towel close to my body, to prevent it from falling. I still remembered the time when Lucy and I were in her dorm. She had just gotten out from a shower, wrapped in a towel. Natsu barged in, looking for her. She had jumped in alarm, the towel….. well, let's just say it wasn't pretty.

Jellal's eyes bugged out of his head, staring at me. "E-Erza!" He rasped. He sat there, frozen, unsure of what to do next.

I flew back into the bathroom and pushed the door close. "Umm, give me a moment!" I called, feeling flustered. Holy crap, I thought. That was close.

I pulled the towel off my body, reaching for the fresh pair of panties and bra that I had grabbed, thankful that I had decided to snatch them. If not, I would've been screwed.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, then a creak, followed by a quiet expletive. I turned, realizing why.

I hadn't closed the door fully.

Jellal stood frozen, staring at me, clad in a pair of black panties and matching bra. My eyes widened, my face turning a deep shade of red.

His eyes traveled southward, landing on the bruise under my breasts. His eyes darkened, and he stormed forward, grabbing me gently by the waist. I gasped, feeling the warmth of his hands on my body.

He brushed his fingers over my bruise, and I hissed quietly. He looked at me, his eyes dark with pain. "Erza," he murmured. I could see the unshed tears in his eyes. I knew why.

I grabbed his face, holding it still, looking into his eyes. "Jellal," I whispered as sternly as I could. "This wasn't your fault. Do not blame yourself!"

"But you're hurt. And I couldn't do anything-"

"Jellal," I said, cutting him off. His eyes flicked back to mine. "Jellal, you prevent him from molesting me." His eyes widened. "He was going to take my clothes of, Jellal, and probably rape me. What you did was heroic, coming to help me. You saved my life, Jellal."

His eyes were wide. I leaned in, never taking my eyes off of his, and gingerly, pressed my lips against his.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the sink, my lips against Jellal's. He was standing in between my legs, his fingers roaming my body, his shirt discarded on the floor. My hands eagerly rose and explored his chest, running my hands up and down his hard abs.

He shuddered but didn't pull away from my kiss. His tongue swept into my mouth, and I moaned. He growled, and I felt his arm grab my leg, hooking it around his body. I could feel every inch of his hard body.

He pulled away from my mouth, and I whimpered. He chuckled, and latched onto my neck, liking and sucking. He kissed the skin where my neck met my collarbone, and I shuddered. The sensations were too much, and I writhed under his body. He continued to attack my neck with his kisses, sucking and biting the skin, while I fell apart under his ministrations. I ran my hands up and down his back, feeling the corded muscles rippling under my hands.

He pulled away from my neck and looked at me with eyes full of lust. They asked an unspoken question: do you want to continue?

I nodded, my mouth going dry. I wanted this, wanted it so badly. Jellal was the answer to all of my questions. He was the one I wanted.

His lips crashed into mine again, and his arms looped around my legs, hoisting me up. I gasped against his mount, and he wordlessly carried me out of the bathroom, stumbling to the bed.

I fell back on the mattress. Jellal looked at me and climbed onto the bed, hovering over me. His eyes burned into mine, and I reached out wordlessly to him. Please, my eyes begged. Kiss me.

And so he did.

_**Jellal's POV**_

How did it come to this? I asked myself. Erza lay underneath me, her hands roaming my body. I gasped against her mouth, cupping her face gently.

I stared hazily down at her, my eyes tracing her curves, her gorgeous body. Part of me was screaming at myself. You don't deserve her, it said. I didn't deserve to have this beautiful woman. I'd only hurt her.

And yest, the other part of me knew I wanted her. She was my salvation. She saved me from the darkness, she saved me from myself. I needed her. I needed her light, her love, for she was the one who broke my curse.

Erza blinked at me. Her hand reached up and caressed my face. "How is your head?" She whispered. I cracked a smile. "The nurse gave me a few aspirins." I said. "The pain is almost gone."

She smiled. "That's good," she purred seductively, making my pants suddenly very tight. I gasped, and she flipped us over, so that she was straddling me.

In one fluid motion, she reached behind her and unclasped her bra, letting it fall off. She batted it away impatiently.

My eyes widened as she sat above me, in all her glory. Her breast were large and round, her nipple pink and perky. My mouth went dry.

Erza chuckled, and grabbed my hand. She pulled it towards herself until it rested on her abdomen. "Go ahead," she breathed, her eyes glued onto mine.

I reached up her body, feeling the underside of her breasts against the tips of my fingers. She shuddered and moaned, leaning back against my hard member. I groaned in response.

"J-Jellal," she whispered. I rolled us over again, so she was under me. I ran my hand up her body, and for the first time, I touched her.

I caressed her breast softly, hearing her moan. She was gorgeous, I thought to myself. I experimentally rolled her nipple between my fingers, and her back arched, a breathy moan escaping from her plump lips. Her eyes looked at me. "Jellal," she breathed.

I bend down and kissed the hollow of her throat. She hummed blissfully, and I continued to kiss, angling downward. I gave her one more kiss on the swell of her right breast. Then I focused my attention on it.

Her chest heaved, and I lowered my lips down on her breast, kissing around the hard peak located in the center. My other hand was still caressing her other breast. She writhed underneath me, her hands reaching up to clutch onto my neck.

I kissed her whole breast, flicking my tongue against her sensitive peak. She cried out in pleasure.

I pulled away from her throughouly loved breast, and reached up to capture her lips with mine. She melted against my kiss eagerly, her hands running down my body, and running over my hard member.

My eyes flew open, and I groaned. With her quick fingers, she unbundled my belt and unzipped my jeans. I growled and yanked them off quickly, before crashing against her once more. I reached down and hooked her legs around mine, rubbing up against her heated core. She moaned.

I pulled back and looked at her, bracing my self against the mattress with one arm. Her chest heaved, her eyes lidded with passion. I looked at the one article of clothing left on her body. Then I looked back at her. She nodded urgently.

I reached down and hooked my fingers in her panties, pulling them off, revealing what lay underneath. She was wet, and my member pulsed at the sight of her. But before I could do anything, she grabbed my hand.

She pulled me back to her, her fingers yanking down my boxers. "You too," she murmured.

"Erza, what about-" I began, but she cut me off. "Top drawer." She said.

I looked next to her bed, where her dresser sat. I reached over and opened her drawer, pulling out exactly what I needed.

Her hands came up and grabbed the package out of my hands, tearing the foil. "Come here," she breathed.

I leaned over her and her hands traveled southwards, her hands rolling the rubber over my hard erection. She giggled.

I blushed and looked away, but she pulled me back to her. "I love you, Jellal."

I looked at her sharlply, my eyes searching hers for any doubt. There wasn't any.

"I don't know how you do it," I whispered, cradling her face in my hand. "And I'm still afraid. But having you with me, it makes everything seem brighter."

She smiled. "I will always be here for you Jellal."

I kissed her one more time, positioning myself between her legs. "I'm love you too, Erza Scarlet," I murmured, thrusting into her as gently as I could.

Her eyes flew open, and she gasped, her fingers digging into my back. A few tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes. I wiped them away, kissing her cheek. I stayed as still as I could, letting her get used to me. "It's ok," I whispered. I won't move until you're ready."

After a minute, she began to thrust her hips hupwards, grabbing onto my shoulder blades, nodding for me to continue. I braced myslef and pulled out a bit, thrusting back in. She moaned, and I panted, the feeling of being inside her filling me with bliss.

Our bodies rocked In time with eachother. I could feel her tight, wet heat around my member, and I groaned as she ran her hands up and down my chest. She was moaning at every one of my thrusts, her voice full of passion.

Suddenly, she let out a loud, breathy moan. "J-J-Jellal!" She screamed, clutching onto my neck, her body arcing off the bed. Her heat tightened around my member, and I suddenly peaked there, right with her, a snarl coming from my mouth. All I saw was white, and felt a sense of ecstasy. I collapsed next to her our chest heaving, coming down from our orgasmic highs.

I reached for her, grabbing her and pulling her in to me. She laid her head on my ches, and I wrapped my arms around her bare back. She smiled, and yawned, tracing invisible patterns on my chest.

I planted a kiss on her forehead. Her eyes began to close, her hands stilling on my skin. "I love you, Erza." I whispered, staring down at her face. She mumbled sleepily and smiled.

I hugged her close to my body, my own eyes closing. I ran my fingers through her long silky hair, holding her protectively. The last thought I my mind was that I'd protect the woman I loved, to my dying breath.

_There will always be that one person in the world who will love you more than life itself. They will protect you from anything, even if it means sacrificing themselves. They will do anything for you. Why? Because they were meant to love you._

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><p><strong>AN: well, let me just go and hide right now...that was my first lemon, I really hope it wasn't too bad. Eek!**

**Thanks for everyone who followed, reviewed, and faved. Much appreciated!**

**#diesfromembarassment**


	11. Retribution

**A/N: dear god, I'm sorry for that extremely long and annoying hiatus. I'm still super embarrassed by that lemon, but thanks to ****_Maia Pandra, _****I was able Yo get my head out of my ass- mostly. So ****_Maia Pandra, _****thank you, for if it weren't for you, I'd still be off in my cave of embarassment.**

* * *

><p><em>What is a friend? The dictionary term for it is person attached to attached other by feelings of affection or personal regard. But it so much deeper than that.<em>

_A friend is someone who is there for you, in your best times and your worst. They laugh, they cry, and they smile with you. They're there to watch your back, and look out for you. _

_Friends protect eachother._

_**Erza's POV**_

I slowly opened my eyes. It must have been, oh, maybe 7 in the morning. Sunlight was streaming in through my window, landing on a certain someone's face.

His eyelashes fluttered in his sleep, his dark hair splayed across the pillow. His face was smooth and relaxed, the red tattoo bringing out his angular cheekbones.

I rested my hand on his exposed chest, running my fingers up and down his smooth torso, feeling the ridged muscles under my fingertips. His body twitched, responding to my touch.

Why was he so hot?

I immediately blushed upon that thought. And yet, I couldn't deny it. Jellal was extremely sexy.

He rolled, his arm reaching out and wrapping themselves around my torso, pulling me solidly against his chest. I sucked in a breath. His dark green eyes opened up and latched onto mine. Warmth shone through. He smiled.

"Morning." He whispered quitely.

I laid my head on his warm chest, relishing the feel of his skin against mine. "Morning," I mumbled.

He pressed a chaste kiss against my forehead. "Let's not go to class today," he whispered.

I rolled over, reaching for my phone, which laying the desk next to thebed. Jellal's fingers stayed on my hips, tracing patterns on my skin. I shivered at the pleasant feeling.

I turned on my phone. Wednesday.

I shot up to a sitting position, holding the blankets around my chest. Jellal sat up, a concerned look on his face. "What is it?"

"Today is the game with Sabertooth." I whispered. I looked at him. "We have to go to class today, otherwise we won't be allowed to see it." Stupid school rules.

Jellal slipped the phone out of my hand and threw it back onto the dresser. He lay back down, holding my hand. "We have a few minutes," he whispered suggestively.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. "Since when did you get so cocky?" I murmured, surprised at the change in him

His hands reached out and pulled me to him, until I was laying on his chest. I blushed, my face inches from his own. His hands ran up and down my bare back, sliding down to my thighs, and then cupping my butt possessively. I groaned.

He pulled my head down and pressed his lips against his ear. "I'm not cocky. I just need you right now." He whispered.

I kissed him, running my hands up and down his chest. Our hips rocked against eachother, and things would've proceeded the way they had last night if it weren't for the conveniently timed knock on my door.

I pulled away from Jellal and sighed. His hand came up and traced my cheek. "Maybe they'll go away." He whispered.

The knock came again, followed by a, "Erza Scarlet, we need to talk."

I looked over at the door, my eyes narrowed. "So the coward has finally decided to show herself." I muttered.

"Who?"

I got up from straddling Jellal, and wrapped my blanket around my naked form. I looked at Jellal. His eyes were confused, a small frown was written on his handsome face. He was sitting up, exposing his delicious chest, and his narrow hips. I gulped, eyeing the faint Adonis lines on his hips that disappeared underneath the blanket.

His eyes landed on me again. "Who is it?" He asked again.

I pointed to the closet. "Evergreen."

He sighed. "Right," he murmured. He reached down and grabbed his jeans, which were lying in a messy heap next to the bed. I turned to give him privacy.

The sound of my closet door opening and closing alerted me. I heard Jellal faintly say, "Your closet is a mess." Then everything was quiet.

I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around myself. Once I deemed myself to be decent, i reached out and opened the door.

I was met with a surprise.

Ever and Gray stood in front of me; Ever with an ashamed look on her face, and Gray with an annoyed, and enraged look. He gestured to Ever with a free hand, his other firmly gripping Ever's shoulder.

"Look who I fould. Conveniently, she has something she'd like to say to you. Isn't that right, Evergreen?" Gray said, raising an eyebrow at the guilty woman.

I narrowed my eyes, crossed my arms, and leaned against my doorframe. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Ever expectantly. She refused to look into my eyes.

"Look at her," Gray said threateningly. Ever flinched and looked at me. "Now tell her," he continued. "We're not leaving until you say it. We can stay here all day if you want."

"Erza, I-I'm extremely sorry for taking that photo of you." Ever whispered.

Gray nudged her. "And…?"

"And I promise not to do it again! I took down the picture and I sent out an apology text to everyone I sent it to! Forgive me!" She cried.

I sighed. "Gray, let the poor girl go." I murmured. He huffed in annoyance, but reluctantly let go of her shoulder.

"Evergreen," I said sternly. She looked at me catiously. I sighed.

"I had hoped that you would set aside this petty obsession, and that we could be friends. I don't care about being the most popular, or the most athletic. That is the last thing anyone should care about. School is a place to learn and make friends. Now, I accept your apology, but let me tell you right now," I hissed, looking at her. "You do something like this ever again, and I promise you, what you did will look like child's play compared with what I will do. I will make you regret having been born. Do not cross me again. Now go!"

She squeaked and took off, running for her life down the hall. As soon as she disappeared around the corner, I immediately sagged against the door frame.

Gray reached out and steadied me, a concerned look in his eyes. "Hey," he whispered. "You ok?

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, you didn't have to do that."

Gray chuckled. "Why not? You're my friend, Erza. And friends have each other's backs."

I blinked. Then, without even thinking, I leaned forward and pecked Gray lightly on the lips. "Thank you," I whispered.

His arms wrapped around me and pulled me close. "No problem," he whispered back. I buried my face In his shoulder.

"You coming to the game today?" Gray asked.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you could be making out-"

"Not another word, Gray Fullbuster."

He chuckled and pulled away from me. I grinned at him. He smiled, and reached out, brushing the hair out of my face.

"Bring Jellal with you." He murmured. I nodded. "Will you bring Juvia?" I asked.

He tensed, his face turning bright red. "H-how did you know?" He gasped.

I giggled. "Gray," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Did you really expect me to not know? I wasn't born under a rock."

He scratched his head. "U-umm.." he murmured. "Oh, uhh, actually, Natsu just texted. I gotta run!"

"Gray," I said, just as he turned to take off. He froze and looked at me sheepishly.

"You're an idiot."

He winked. "But I'm you're idiot, ne, erza?"

Before I could answer, he took off down the corridor.

_**Gray's POV**_

"It's all or nothing," I hissed, slamming my fist down on the table. Natsu glared at me.

"You're kidding me!" He growled back. "We do that, and you could loose your scholarship to MU!"

I shook my head. "I don't care," I murmured. "No one hurts my friend and gets away with it."

Natsu sighed, looking at the piece of paper I had given him. "Gray," he said. "Don't you think this is going a bit overboard?"

I shook my head. "Like I said, if they want to play dirty, than so will we. Imagine if it was Lucy they attacked. Cana. Juvia. Levy. Any of them. Would you like that?"

I knew I had won this argument as soon as I said his girlfriend's name. He'd protect her with his life.

His eyes darkened, the pupils dialating. "Fine," he hissed, crumbling the paper in his hand. "Let's do this."

_**Jellal's POV**_

"Wow," I murmured, bringing my arm around Erza as Gray slammed the soccer ball into the opposing team's goal. We cheered, and Gray ran a victory lap around the field, giving Natsu a high five.

Erza nodded, holding up her phone and snapping a quick picture. "He's always been one of the best Fairy Tail soccer players. He was recruited last year for college."

She smiled, cheering as Natsu took the ball. The play began.

I looked sideways at her. Her long red hair flowed in the wind, her brown eyes were bright with excitement. She wore a back t-shirt and Jean shorts, exposing her long tan legs. I blushed, remembering the feel of her body against mine. Last night was almost unreal. Erza and I, together, by ourselves, wrapped up in each other. Her beautiful body under mine, her skin….

Shit, I thought, feeling that spike of energy rush through me. Don't think about it, do NOT think about it!

I can't get aroused at the freaking soccer game!

I turned my attention back to the game, trying to prevent my thoughts from entering pervertville. What a struggle.

I narrowed my eyes, recognizing the blonde spikes of Sting Eucliffe, who was currently trying to steal the ball from Natsu. I watched, with wide eyes, as he suddenly bashed Natsu in the face. The pinkette fell, cursing, and Sting stole the ball.

"Bastard!" Erza snarled, standing up next to me. She glared at the blonde. "Why the hell did the ref not call that a foul?"

Suddenly, Gray dived at Sting, cracking his elbow across the blonde's cheek. That's when the ref whistled, and the game was momentarily. Erza funed, her face turning a boiling red, as the ref held out a yellow card.

Erza narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing, Gray?"

I reached up and rubbed her back soothingly. "Erza, breathe." I murmured, noticing how worked up she was getting.

She looked at me. "I swear, I'm going to kill that bastard," she hissed.

Something told me she wasn't lying.

_**Erza's POV**_

I stormed down to the boy's Locker room. The teams were both taking a short break. I needed to find Gray.

Suddenly, I heard a noise around the corner. I heard shuffling, and whispering. So what did I do? Well, I definitely didn't walk away and mind my own business. I peeked around the corner.

The boy's Locker room door was wide open. I heard some shuffling, and then a cry pain. My body tensed. What the hell?

Suddenly, I saw someone run out of the room, and I gasped with shock. It was Gray, breath up, bleeding from a gash on the head. He was followed by three guys from Sabertooth: Sting, Orga, and Rogue.

They tackled Gray, and Sting straddled him, bending down to punch my best friend in the face. I snarled and began to launch myself forward.

Suddenly, a blue blur shot past, slamming into Sting and sending the blonde flying into his companions. I gaped.

It was Jellal.

My handsome boyfriend reached down and hauled Gray up. Gray coughed and spit out a globule of blood. "You ok?" Jellal asked. Gray nodded wearily. "What're you doing here, Fernandes?"

Jellal looked at the Sabertooth guys, who were struggling to untangle themselves from eachother. He looked at Gray.

"I'm here to help my friend."

I stepped out from the corner. "So," I said, and my two friends looked at me. I ignored them completely, and marched up to Sting. At this point, all my anger and resentment had reached their limit. I was pissed. No one hurts my friends. No one.

Without any hesitation, I slammed my boot into Sting's gut. He choked, his eyes widening. That very attack was enough to immobilize him. After all, not everyone can move after getting the wind knocked out of them.

"Mind me asking why you were beating up my best friend?" I hissed. I shoved my boot onto his chest, keeping his body pinned to the floor.

Suddenly, Orga launched himself at me, but before he could land a blow, a pink blur shot forward, slamming him into the locker. I grinned, nodding at Natsu, who was holding the big Blue haired man by the throat.

"N-Natsu?" Gray gasped out.

Natsu looked over at him, and gave his best friend a wide, toothy smile. "Yo, Gray, you look terrible."

"You son of a-" Rogue began, but Jellal came forward and kicked him, sending him flying. "You're in no position to talk," he murmured, pressing an knee down on Rogue's back.

I looked down at Sting.

"No one hurts my friends without some sort of retribution. You ready for this, Sting Eucliffe? Cuz I am." I snarled, bending down and grabbing his face. "It's payback time."

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><p><strong>AN: wow, I had a really hard time writing this. Sheesh, I'm sorry if this chapter was disappointing.**


	12. Victory

**A/N: sorry, I said I'd post this yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to. Gomenasai, minna-san! **

**anyway, I have a sslight problem. I said that I was going to take this month off, since it is NaNoWriMo, but the story I chose has a lot of editing to be done, which I'm not so sure it'll be finished before the end of this month. Should I not take this break off and just work on editing my story so it'll be ready for next year's NaNoWriMo? Then I'll have time to finish my stories here.**

**what do you think?**

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><p><em>There are three simple laws in life:<em>

_1) If you do not chase what you're after in life, then you'll never get it._

_2) The answer will always be No if you never ask._

_3) If you don't go forward, you'll always remain in the same place._

_So live life to the fullest and regret nothing else._

_**Erza's POV**_

"Oi, Hey, where the hell do are you taking us?" Sting shouted belligerently. I glared at him, shoving him forward and keeping a strong grip on the back of his jersey. I smirked.

"We're taking a nice little stroll to the Dean's office right now, my dear Sting Eucliffe." I snarled. I jabbed a finger over to Gray, who stumbled next to me while holding a towel against his forehead. "And then you can tell him all about what you did to Gray."

Sting scoffed. "And why would I do that?"

I squeezed his neck, and he yelped in pain. "Because," I hissed, pressing my lips against his ear. "I could easily take you outside the school grounds and give you the beating you deserve, but that wouldn't solve the problem. You'll just keep coming back and hurting my friends."

"You're a-"

"Shut up," Jellal said, shaking Rogue's shoulder lightly. "You're lucky she's not beating you guys to a pulp right now."

I looked at Jellal. His eyes bored into mine, full of clarity. He knew what I was going to do. And he knew It was the right decision.

"You can't do this! We're in the middle of a game right now!" Orga exclaimed. I stopped, forcing Sting to come to a standstill, and turned to look at Orga.

"Yes, you are. And right now, that game is on hold at the moment, thanks to my little friend over here," I said, holding up my phone. "Lucy did a great job in informing the refs that we had a bit of a problem down in the locker rooms, so they're willing to extend half time until the problem is fixed."

"You can't do that!" Sting cried.

"Actually-"

"She can," chimed Natsu, Gray, and Jellal in unison.

I looked at the three of them. "I can speak for myself guys," I said. Then I turned to Sting, Orga, and Rogue, who were looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"I can, and I did. I'm the senior and Student Council president, you idiots." I snarled. Without bothering to see their reactions, I shoved Sting forward, down the hall to where the coach's office. The Dean had said he'd meet us there.

I walked into the office, shoving Sting on the chair that was conveniently facing the door, so he fell into it like it was waiting for him with open arms.

The others filed into the room behind me, all focused on the small man standing on the desk.

Yes, standing. I'm not kidding. Master Makarov was a tad short, so standing on the desk got him close to our height. He glared at us all through narrowed eyes, his small arms folded over his chest.

"Miss Scarlet, you called? What seems to be the problem?"

I gestured for Gray to come forward. "This is the problem," I said. Gray pulled the towel away from his forehead to reveal the cut on his forehead. The skin around the gash was puffy and discolored. It was a multitude of colors, red, blue, and purple. Makarov's eyes narrowed further, his eyes brows furrowing in concentration.

"I found these three in the boy's Locker room, ganging up on Gray, who was in there before everyone came down. Sir, this goes against all the rules laid out. Member of a different team attacking one of ours? That's sabotage."

"That's not-" Sting began.

"True," Jellal said, stepping forward. "It is. I saw it with my own eyes. You attacked Gray while he was down." Jellal raised his fist. "I had to drag you off of him."

Gray looked at Makarov. "Sir, I-"

"Is this true, Mr. Fullbuster?" Makarov asked.

I stared hard at Gray. I could see he was fighting himself, torn at what to do. He didn't want to look weak in front of everyone and tell the truth, but he didn't want Sting to get away with this either. Boy's pride.

I put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me. I nodded. "It's ok, Gray," I murmured. "We're not going to think any less of you after this."

He nodded slowly, then turned to Makarov. "Sir," he began, clearing his throat. "They did jump me in the locker room."

Sting snarled and looked away, but at least Orga and Rogue had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. Makarov looked grave as he stared at the three Sabertooth members.

"You three" Makarov said, keeping his gaze fixed on Sting. "Go back up to the game. Send me the Sabertooth coach. Gray, stay here. But you, Erza, Natsu, and Jellal, go back upstairs."

I nodded, and squeezed Gray's shoulder in silent encouragement once more before I stepped out of the room, Natsu and Jellal following me close behind.

As soon as the door closed, I whipped out my phone, where I had Lucy on standby. I sent her a quick text, asking her to locate the Sabertooth coach and send him to the boy's Locker rooms. _The Dean would like to see him,_ I wrote. After a minute, she replied._ He's on his way,_ she wrote.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and turned to Natsu and Jellal, who were both looking at me expectantly. I looked at Natsu. "Go back to the team," I advised. "They're probably anxious and confused, and as Co captain, you should calm them down."

Natsu nodded. "Sure thing, Erza. See you up there."

He took off down the hall, his form becoming small and smaller, until he disappeared completely, leaving me alone with Jellal.

Immediately, I sagged, and fell backwards, leaning heavily on his chest. His hands came around and held me firmly by the waist.

"Erza, you ok?" He asked worridly.

I turned in his arms and pressed myself to his chest, wrapping my arms around him. "I was so scared," I mumbled hoarsely. "Gray…he…"

"Shhh," Jellal murmured, rubbing my back soothingly. "Gray is fine thanks to you. If it weren't for you heading down there, they'd still be hurting him right now. You saved him, Erza."

"I wanted to hurt them," I murmured. I clutched onto the fabric of Jellal's v-neck, gritting my teeth.

He grabbed my hands and forced me to release my grip on his shirt. He brought them to his lips and kissed my knuckles softly. "I know, Erza, I know," he whispered. "And no one would've blamed you if you did. You, as well as Gray, have the right to do so for what they did to the both of you. And yet, you chose the right decision. Now, Makarov will make sure they don't hurt anyone else."

I pressed my head into the crook of his neck, inhaling his comforting scent. He placed a kiss on my head. "It'll be alright, Erza. Trust me."

I pulled away from his neck and pressed my lips to his. His hands jerked in surprise, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me, angling his head so we could kiss better.

Jellal's tong traced the outline of my lips, and I eagerly opened my mouth to him, letting him sweep in and explore my mouth. Our tongues twined together, and I could feel Jellal pull me against his chest, holding me tightly. I could feel his need.

I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging gently on the long blue strands. With a groan, Jellal walked me backwards until I hit the wall.

I clutched onto his broad shoulders and wrapped my legs around his hips, pulling me closer. Jellal's eyes shot open, and his passionate kisses slowed until he gave me one last, chaste kiss. I looked at him.

"I'm not sure this is the best place to be doing something like this here," he whispered, gesturing down the hall to where the coache's door stood. "Not to mention, that Sabertooth coach will be here any minute."

I blushed, thinking of the consequences of being found. I quickly unwrapped my legs from around Jellal's waist, and he set me on the ground gently. I leaned up and gave him one small peck on the lips, wrapping my hand around his.

"Alright, later then." I whispered. "Let's go."

_**Jellal's POV**_

I sat in the stands next to Erza, holding her close. In the field, both teams gathered worridly around their respective goals, murmuring to eachother.

Beside me, Erza trembled, biting her lower lip nervously. I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. She looked over at me and smiled, leaning over to kiss me softly. I reached up with my free hand and cupped her face, kissing her back softly.

"Will you two please just get a room already?" An exasperated voice sighed, and Erza and I broke apart quickly. I could feel the blush spreading across my cheeks as I looked at Lucy with guilt.

Erza grinned next to me. "I will as soon as you and Natsu do the same."

It was Lucy's turn to blush, and she sat down heavily next to Erza with a huff.

"Oh shut up. Anyway, what color is your dress for tonight?"

Erza looked at Lucy blankly. "What?" She asked dumbly.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Honestly? Did kissing the hot tie over there-" she gestured to me- "kill all the brain cells you have?"

"Hey!" I complained.

Erza narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?" She asked.

Lucy sighed. "Homcoming? Remember? After every first home game?"

Erza clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening with shock. "Crap!" She exclaimed. "I totally forgot!"

I poked her on the arm. "What are you two talking about?" I asked.

Lucy looked at me. "Every year, after the first home game of the season, Fairy Tail throws a homecoming dance. Everyone shows up. It's an awesome night. I'm surprised that Erza forgot."

"Things have been been a bit hectic around here, Luce." Erza mumbled. Lucy looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "So," the blonde said. "You're going right?"

Erza shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I do have a dress…"

I looked at Erza. The question lingered on my tongue, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to ask her. Do it, you idiot, I screamed in my mind. If you never ask, you'll never know! I made up my mind.

I grabbed her hand again. "Erza," I said. She looked at me with a questioning lookin in her eyes. "Jellal?" She whispered.

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

Her eyes widened. I grinned. "I take that as a yes?" I asked. My heart pounded. Even if she said yes, where the hell was I supposed to get a suit? Crap, bad planning on my part.

She kissed me again, clutching onto my hand softly. "Yes," she whispered. "I will."

I blinked.

Lucy laughed, and clapped my shoulder. "Awesome, Jellal, since this was kinda last minute, I'll have Natsu or Gray find you a suit!"

I opened my mouth to respond, but there was a sudden movement on the field that caught my attention. I turned and pointed. "Look," I whispered.

Gray and the Sabertooth coach were walking out onto the field. Natsu broke away from the team and raced over to meet Gray. The Sabertooth coach waked over to his team, while Gray and Natsu spoke to eachother. Then they broke apart and headed back to the team.

Lucy's phone buzzed, and she whipped it out of her jeans, turning it on and looking at the screen. She gasped, and instantly, Erza and I looked at her.

She held the phone out to us mutely. Erza took it, and I leaned over her shoulder to read the message.

_Natsu: good news. Sting, Rogue, and Orga have been kicked off the Sabertooth team, and they'll be getting further punishment from their Dean. Gray is gonna play. Wish us luck._

Erza grinned, and handed the phone back to Lucy. She stood up in the bleacher, cupped her hands together, and screamed at the top of her lungs, "kick their asses, Fairy Tail!"

Lucy chuckled. "That's our Erza for you."

I looked at her, her red hair shining in the sunlight, her eyes full of excitement.

I've stepped forward, I thought to myself. There's no more looking back.

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><p>There was a minute left in the game. Sabertooth and Fairy Tail were tied, 10 to 10. This final play would be the deciding win.<p>

The ref blew his whistle. The ball flew up in the air.

Erza clutched tightly to my hand. Our eyes were glued to the field, we were holding our breaths. The entire stands were dead quiet, watching and waiting.

A blonde from Sabertooth had the ball. He dodged all of our teammates with efficiency, and raced towards our goal. I bit my lip.

Out of nowhere, Gray raced up, running across the blonde's path and stealing ball. The blonde, so startled by Gray's appearance, yelled in shock and fell flat on his face.

Natsu raced up next to Gray. I saw a subtle nod exchanged between the two of them, and then they took off down the field, splitting apart.

The Sabertooth members tried to cut Gray off, since he had the ball. That's when I realized what the nod meant.

Gray kicked the ball, and Natsu flew out of nowhere, intercepting the ball's flight. He took off down the field. The Sabertooth members all took off after the pinkette.

The exchange happened again. And again. None of the Sabertooth members could touch the ball, for Natsu and Gray were too quick, and too clever. The other members of the Fairy Tail team soon realized what was happening, and they began to block the Sabertooth members even further, giving Gray and Natsu a clear shot.

Gray raced up to the goal, and Natsu passed it to him one final time. There were 15 seconds left on the clock. Erza's hand clutched mine, and she whispered, "Come on, Gray, come on." I silently agreed with her.

Gray set up the shot. With one powerful kick, he sent the ball spinning into the goalie's hands. The goalie, unprepared for such a powerful kick, fell backwards, and the ball hurtled into the goal, swishing up against the net.

The clock buzzed, signaling the game was over. The score was 11 to 10. We won.

Immediately, the bleachers erupted into cheers and screams. Gray and Natsu ran a victory lap around the field, chest bumping their teammates. After a minute or two, the captains were hoisted up on the shoulders of their teammates and paraded around the field.

Erza looked at me, warmth in her eyes. She grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me to her, pressing her lips against mine while the bleachers around us exploded with cheers.

It was pretty much the best victory one could hope for. At least, I thought so.

_Life is too short to worry, or be sad. It's too short to ponder your mistakes or wish for things you will never have. Life is too short to be sad. Never count your minutes, hours, days or years. Life is too short to fight, and it's too short for war. Life is a gift, so don't waste it._

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><p><strong>AN: well, what did you think? Somewhat better than the last chapter? Let me know, and thank you for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows!**

**there's going to be one more chapter after this, and it'll include a lemon- my gift to you all. I hope you enjoy, and I promise to update as soon as I can.**

**see ya soon!**

**-Wolf**


	13. Homecoming

**A/N: Ok, so I lied. Chapter thirteen is not the epilogue. There is a lot more to go, and if I tried to put it all in one chapter, it would literally be, like 10K words. I have a feeling you guys would not want to read that.**

**So this chapter is the set up for the epilogue. Hope you guys like it. Thanks for the many reviews, follows, and favorites! As always, you guys are the best! Arigato gozaimasu!**

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><p>"<em>He's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn't going to quote poetry, he's not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don't hurt him, don't change him, and don't expect for more than he can give. Don't analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he's not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that is perfect for you."<em>

_-Bob Marley_

_**Erza's POV**_

How could I have been so stupid to forget homecoming?

I sighed and slapped my forehead for the umpteenth time as I looked at the two dresses I held in each hand. One was black, the other was white.

Homecoming tonight was at the Fairy Tail guild hall, a beautiful building that catered these types of parties. Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and I had booked a limousine service to take us there at about 7, since the dance began at 8. Now, Jellal and his sister Juvia would be joining us. Gray had asked her to the dance after their game. I could still hear her squeal of excitement.

I couldn't help to smile as I thought about Fairy Tail's win today. Gray and Natsu couldn't have been happier, and I couldn't be more proud.

But you wanna know the best part?

Magnolia University showed up to the game. Gray hadn't been the only one to apply there. So had Natsu, but he hadn't heard back from them.

Until now.

_I was sitting in the hallway outside the boy's locker room with Lucy and Jellal while we waited for the boys to come down. The hallway was dead silent, and then I heard loud shouts of happiness and ecstatic giddiness._

_The next thing I saw were two heads flying at me, one pink, the other black. I managed to let out a startled squeak before I was bowled over by the black haired boy. A similar squeak from Lucy told me she met the same fate at the hands of the pinkette._

_When my vision cleared, I was able to make out Jellal's startled and bemused face looking down at me, his eyes swimming with barely contained laughter._

_I glared at him, but failed miserably when the person hugging me squeezed just a bit too hard._

"_God damnit, Gray," I wheezed. "Can't... breathe!"_

_The boy in question grinned and let me go, standing up and offering me his hand. I gave him a withering look. "Was it really necessary," I began, grabbing his hand so he could pull me upright, "to knock me down on the floor. I mean, I know you're excited and all, but-"_

"_Guess what!" Natsu broke in, holding Lucy's hand and grinning like a madman._

_Jellal gave the pinkette a curious glance. 'What happened/" he asked, rather cautiously, since he'd learned that the pinkette could be, well, unpredictable._

_Natsu jumped up and down like a little kid, full of energy and excitement. "The coach from MU came to the game today. I've been personally recruited to play soccer with Gray at MU, and they're willing to pay my tuition fees!"_

_I gaped, completely forgetting my mere annoyance with Gray. I leaped at Natsu and gave him a flying hug, crushing him to my chest. "Oh my god, Natsu," I exclaimed, a smile on my face. "Congradulations!"_

"_Ouch," he mumbled, his voice muffled. He pulled away from me and spat out a mouthful of my hair. "Tastes bad."_

_Jellal came up to us and clapped Natsu on the shoulder. "Great job, Natsu. Congradulations."_

_Lucy smiled and ruffled the pinkette's hair. "I knew you could do it," she murmured. He turned his head and pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead._

_I blushed and turned away from them, giving them space. Jellal reached over and took my hand, while Gray ran off. "I'm going to find Juvia," he said over his shoulder._

I frowned and looked at the two dresses in front of me, again.

I loved them both. The problem was, I could only wear one.

The black dress was made out of lace, with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up the front, which would expose my left leg all the way up to the middle of my thigh. It was simplistic, black lace flower pattern upon black chiffon.

The white dress was made out of chiffon. It was tunic style, with a piece of cloth draped over one shoulder, the other arm bare. The border was made out of gold chiffon. The dress fell in easy, flowing waves, with another slit going up the front. It was completed with a gold belt around the bodice.

There was a knock on my door, and I turned. "Enter," I said, and the door opened, revealing Lucy. She had a covered bag in her hands, which I believed to be her dress.

Her eyes widened when she saw my dresses, and immediately figured out my dilemma. She draped the bag on my bed and marched over to me, her eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed, eyes fierce and concentrated. She opened her mouth, then thought harder and closed it.

I looked at her pleadingly. "Help," I whispered.

She looked at me, as if picturing me in both dresses. Then she looked at the dresses, one by one.

She looked at me. "The white one," she said finally. "The gold bring out your hair. Please tell me you have gold heels."

I nodded wordlessly. "They're in my closet."

Lucy smiled and whipped out her phone. "Natsu and Gray took Jellal to one of those boutiques in town," she explained to me. "They're gonna try and find him a suit. I'm telling Natsu to find something with gold or white in it."

I sat down on my bed with a thump. "Good god, Lucy," I whispered. "I'm actually going to homecoming with someone other than Gray. It's almost surreal."

She grinned and plopped down beside me. "True, it's weird," she agreed. "But just think. You love Jellal, and I just know the guy loves you."

I looked at her curiously. "Really? How'd you know?"

She snorted. "It's so obvious. He stares at you as if you're a wonder of the world- which I'm not saying you aren't- and he's someone who's seeing for the first time. He always reaches out for you, even when you're not there. I've never seen a guy so smitten."

I smiled. Even though Jellal had had a hard life, and he pushed so many people away, he loved so strongly.

He wasn't the most perfect boy. He lived his entire life with the weight of guilt sitting on his shoulders. He separated himself from others, believing he was the reason why the people around him got hurt.

He was flawed. He was broken.

But he was slowly piecing himself back together. Under all that pain and sorrow, the brokenness and the guilt, there was a fire so strong, that it would never burn out.

He had given himself to me, even though he was afraid of hurting me. Yet he trusted me and let me into his life, breaking down those walls he had built to keep people out. And what I found underneath, the love and the light, was stunning.

That was what made me fall in love with him. That this lonely, beautiful, isolated boy was passionate and caring about the people and things he loved.

I stood up, and picked the white dress up. I looked over at the clock. 5:00. Lucy and I had two hours to get ready.

I looked over my shoulder at Lucy. "You can use the bathroom once I've changed, ok?" I said.

She nodded. "Take your time," she replied. "I've already got my hair and makeup figured out. it's you I worry about."

I made a face. "Shut up," I said, and shut the door.

_**Jellal's POV**_

I ducked as Natsu sent another shirt flying into the dressing room with a "Heads up!"

I snatched the white dress shirt out of the air and poked my head through the curtains that separated me from the others. "Can you not?" I asked. I shook the shirt at him. "This isn't even ours!"

Gray shrugged and waved me off. "nah, don't worry, Fernandes. This place is pretty chill. The owner knows me and Natsu, so we're off the hook. Now, are you decent?"

I glared at him. "No," I said, ducking back into the room and throwing the shirt on over my bare chest while zipping up my black dress pants at the same time.

A suit jacket zipped over the curtain and whacked me over the head. For a minute, I saw black as the silk cloth covered my eyes.

"Natsu Dragneel!" I roared. "Quit it."

"Quit what?" I heard him ask innocently.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, pulling the suit jacket off my head. And that's when it hit me.

I felt completely at home with them.

Comfortable.

At ease.

_Happy._

I didn't remember the last time I felt comfortable with a group of people, let alone Erza. My relationship with her was different. Being able to laugh and joke around with guys my age, made me feel complete.

I sighed and pulled the suit jacket on, buttoning it up, before stepping out of the dressing room.

Gray looked me up and down. Natsu whistled, and I stood there uncomfortably.

"I like it," Gray finally said. "It just needs one tiny thing."

Natsu looked at him. "Right. That thing."

I looked at them suspiciously. "What thing?" I asked, beginning to sound standoffish.

Gray walked over to me. "You forgot to button the collar," he said.

I shrugged. "I don't think this will work," I mumbled. "It feels way too expensive, and I don't have that much money right now-"

"Shut up," Gray advised, reaching up and buttoning my collar for me. "It's on me today. Hey, if it's anything for Erza, then I'm in all the way. You can pay me back some other day. Now, head up," he said, preventing me from protesting.

Natsu chuckled. "Don't try to fight him," the pinkette warned, gesturing to Gray, who was currently wrapping something around my neck. "The guy becomes a pitbull when he sets his mind on something."

I nodded wordlessly, the protest dying from my lips.

Gray straightened the unnameable thing around my throat, and stepped back. He and Natsu exchanged a look before giving me a thumbs up. "Perfect," Gray said.

Natsu nodded to the mirror behind me. "Take a look, Fernandes," he advised.

I turned, and my eyes widened. "This is me?" I asked, looking at my reflection up and down. Never before had I ever looked this neat. Tidy.

The entire suit was black and elegant. Underneath, I wore the expensive white collared shirt. The entire outfit was completed with a white bow tie. I looked somewhat, nice for a change. Maybe even, handsome?

Gray nodded approvingly. "You don't know how many times Erza and Lucy would bring us in here, fitting us the "proper" way. According to them, black and white is the best way to go."

I looked at them. "And what are you wearing?"

Gray shrugged. "Lisanna took Juvia out to one of those boutiques for women. I think she said she's wearing silver and black. While you were changing, I already bought myself a little something. and Natsu over here is already set."

I began to head back into the dressing room. "Ok then," I began, already unbuttoning my jacket. "I guess I'll-"

"Where do you think you're going?" Natsu interceded. "It's about 6:30. Gray and I are getting changed, and we're heading to a flower shop before we pick the girls up. You are staying in those clothes."

I blanched. "What?" I asked dumbly.

_**Erza's POV**_

"Lucy, you're stunning!" I gasped, my eyes wide while my best friend twirled around my room, her golden dress swirling around her legs

It was a one shoulder dress, leaving her left arm bare. It was also tunic style, the fabric bunched over her right shoulder. The rest of the dress fell down in sparkling, golden waves, bunching around her feet.

Now I realized why she had spent so much time in the bathroom.

She had done her hair in elaborate curls, pulling them back into a bun and letting the rest fall in a small, curly ponytail that fell over her left shoulder. She had done her makeup with golden eyeshadow, bringing out the brown in her eyes. She looked stunning.

She smiled and pointed to me. "I would say the same about you. C'mere."

I frowned, but stood up and walked over to her. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to stand next to her. Together, we looked at our reflections in the mirror.

Lucy smiled. "The white dress is perfect," she breathed. "The you look like a Roman goddess. Just wait until I do your hair and makeup."

She looked at the alarm clock on my dresser, and said a very un-Lucylike word. 'Crap," she whispered. "We have to hurry. it's 6:30."

She turned to me. "Sit," she commanded, pointing me to the chair. I rolled my eyes and sat down. "Relax, Lucy," I said. "It's not like it's prom or anything-"

"It's our last Homecoming dance together before we go out into the world. It has to memorable, and we have to be the most beautiful people there. Now shut up, and let me work."

I shut my mouth. In a way, Lucy was a lot like Gray when she got her mind set on something. Both of them turning into pitbulls.

Lucy whipped out a hair curler and began to brush my hair. "Close your eyes,"she advised. "I don't want you to see what I'm doing. It's a surprise."

I looked at her in the mirror. "Excuse me?" * asked. "What if-"

"Have I ever failed you before?" she interrupted. She met my glare. "Are you doubting your best friend?"

I sighed and closed my eyes. "No," I muttered.

She harrumphed and continued her work. She began to curl my hair in soft, gentle waves- that much I could feel.

I felt her style my hair, doing something and gathering it in a loose side ponytail. She left my side for a second, and I felt the urge to open my eyes, but I didn't.

"Hey, Erza, do you have any golden circlets? You know, like the headbands?" I heard Lucy ask.

I nodded. "Check the closet!" I said.

I heard her open the door and fumble around. I heard a grunt of victory. "Perfect," she muttered, and came back to my side. I felt the circlet press against my forehead.

Lucy came around to face me; I felt her hands on my face. "Don't move," she whispered. "Thank god we both have gold themes going on here. This makeup will work perfectly."

I felt her bring an eyeliner brush across my eyelids, drawing out a very thin line. She then began to brush my upper eyelids with something- probably an eyeshadow brush. Next came the lips: a little lip gloss.

She stepped away from me. "Okay," she said. "Open your eyes."

I did as she said and blinked, looking at my reflection. Was that even me? Who was that looking back at me in the mirror.

Lucy had curled my hair in soft waves. She left two pieces to frame my cheeks, and gathered the rest in a loose side ponytail that draped over my right shoulder, tying it with a gold ribbon. Around my forehead was a gold circlet, plain and simple. She had done my eyes with golden eyeshadow, bringing out the brown and golden tones in my eyes. the black eyeliner and mascara darkened my eyes and made them bigger. I looked...I looked like...

"Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty," Lucy murmured, looking pleased with herself. "You're welcome. I am amazing."

I looked at her. "Yes," I said, getting up and giving her a small hug. "Yes you are."

She pulled away from me, and grabbed her bag. "I was thinking of wearing these, but now I think I'll give them to you. Here," she said, handing me two golden bands. I looked at them curiously. "What-"

"i can't believe you. The most beautiful and popular girl in high school has no idea when it comes to accessories," she muttered, snatching them out of my hand. "They're arm bands. They'll go perfectly with your outfit. Here," she said, grabbing my arm and slipping the band up to my bicep. She did this with my other arm.

She stepped back. "Ok," she said. "Just a few more things." She hurried over to my dresser, where my little jewelry box sat, and pulled out one of my favorite gold necklaces. It was a simple charm, just a plain golden leaf, but she slipped it around my neck anyway.

"Perfect," she said. "Now I'm happy."

I gave her withering look. "You mean you weren't before?"

She ignored me and turned to look at the clock. "Just about 7. They should be here any-"

There was a knock on my door.

"-Minute," Lucy finished. She began to walk to my door. "Get your shoes," she said. "I got this."

I nodded and ran into my bathroom, grabbing my gold heels from the floor, where I had left them. I heard Lucy open the door and invite the boys in- Natsu and Jellal. My heart began to beat wildly.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and took a deep breath. Then my eyes landed on a small package sitting on the counter.

Right. While I was changing, Lucy had called up one of those flower boutiques and ordered a boutonniere for Jellal. It was a golden rose, surrounded by baby's breath- tiny white flowers.

I slipped the heels on my feet and grabbed the package. "Breathe, Erza Scarlet," I told myself. "You've got this."

I pushed my shoulders back and grasped the handle of the door. "It's Jellal," I said to myself. "You'll be fine."

I opened the door.

_**Jellal's POV**_

The sound of Erza's bathroom door alerted me, and I looked up from my shoes. Immediately, my jaw dropped, and I'm sure my eyes popped out of my head.

Who was this goddess I was looking at?

I started from the bottom first. She wore glittering gold heels. Her dress was white, falling in gentle waves around her body. There was a slit up the front, exposing one smooth leg all the way up to her creamy thigh.

The dress had a band of deep gold around the bodice. Continuing up, It draped diagonally over her right shoulder bordered in gold, leaving both arms bare, save the two golden armbands decorating her biceps.

A golden leaf necklace circled her throat. Her hair was curled, pulled in a side ponytail draping over her right shoulder. Two pieces of hair curled around her cheeks, framing her face. Her eyes were darkened, and there was gold on her eyelids, bringing out the brown in her eyes. A golden circlet rested on her forehead.

She looked like a Roman goddess.

Lucy giggled next to me and elbowed me. "She looks pretty, right?"

I looked Erza straight in the eyes. "Stunning," i whispered quietly. "Beautiful."

Natsu waved by Lucy's side. "Yo, Erza," he said. "You look great."

Erza smiled and made her way over to us. "Thanks Natsu. You should really compliment Lucy, she's the one who did all this."

He winked. "I already complimented her, for other reasons."

She slapped his arm. "Stop it," she murmured.

She looked at Erza. "Natsu and I are going to meet Gray and Juvia. Come when you're ready." she said. Natsu proffered his arms to her, and she looped her arm in his.

Erza looked like she was going to protest, but shut her mouth. Lucy and Natsu stepped out, and then it was just me and her left.

I looked at her. "I have never seen anyone more beautiful in my life." I said, taking a step forward.

She smiled at me, handing me a small package. "Here," she whispered.

I suddenly remembered my gift to her. I reached into my jacket and pulled out a small box. "Here," I whispered. "We can exchange."

She smiled and took my package, and I took hers. I opened the package, and a little smile came on my face.

It was a little boutonniere, a golden rose surrounded by tiny white flowers.

Erza gasped, and I looked at her. She pulled out her corsage. Gray had helped me pick it out. It was a batch of white orchids, with several buds sprayed golden sprinkled in between the white flowers.

Erza smiled. "Oh, Jellal," she whispered. "It's beautiful."

I reached out for it. "Here," I whispered, taking it from her. "Let me." Being very careful, I slid it onto her right wrist.

She took the boutonniere out of my hand. "Now it's my turn. Hold still," she said, gently pinning the golden flower to my jacket.

She pulled away from me, but I took her hand and pulled it to my lips. "I love you, Erza Scarlet. Or should I say, Venus?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she whispered, reaching up to place a chaste kiss on my lips. "Let's go."

"Yes, ma'am."

We sat in the limousine, Erza pressed up against my right side. Next to us sat Natsu and Lucy, and across from us sat Gray and Juvia. My little sister wore a short, black, chiffon dress. It had a sweetheart neckline, and a silver sash extended down from her right shoulder. There were silver sparkles on the dress, making her look like the night sky. Gray wore a black suit, a silver suit vest underneath, and a silver tie. They looked really nice together.

My phone buzzed. I looked at Erza, who was busy talking with Lucy. While she was distracted, I pulled out my phone, and read the text.

_On our way. See ya there._

I smiled and shoved the phone back into my pocket.

This was going to be the best night of my life.

_There are those who say love hurts, but that isn't true. What hurts is loneliness, rejection, losing someone you love. We confuse these with love, and build walls around us, to prevent more pain from hurting us and the ones we love most. We think we're protecting ourselves, but it's a mistake. We're only hurting ourselves by not letting love in. Love is the only thing that covers the pain and makes us feel happy._

_People build up walls around them, and there is only one special person who cares enough to break them down._

_Find that person, and don't hesitate to let them in._

**A/N: I'm sorry, it's taking me forever to update this story. Things are moving super slowly, only because I'm trying to balance so many things going on in my life. But I promise, I will update this last chapter in a week or so. Promise!**

**Tell me what you think! **

**See ya soon! Happy Writing!**

**-Wolf**


	14. The Final Song

**A/N: Well, here it is my friends, the final installment of A Twist of Fate. Sorry it's such a late update, there was a power surge at my house and it blew out my router- NO WIFI FOR FOUR DAYS! I swear, I was going to rip my hair out.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorite, and followed! As usual, it's much appreciated.**

**Hope you like it! Enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>Love makes the impossible possible, and allows us to break free from the prison of our own fears and doubts."<em>

_-Edward Grinnan, Author, The Promise of Hope_

**_Erza's POV_**

"Holy crap, Erza! You're freaking hot!"

I smiled and waved enthusiastically at Levy and Mira, who both ran over to me from their respective boyfriends. Mira, the blonde dating Laxus, was wearing a pale blue dress with sequins scattered along the neckline. She jumped up and down excitedly in front of me.

Levy eyed Jellal with an interested gleam in her hazel eyes. She leaned in close. "Well damn, Erza," she whispered.

I looked at Jellal, who was being introduced to Gajeel and Laxus by Natsu. Behind him stood Gray and Juvia, both talking quietly to each other.

"He is something," I breathed.

Mira grabbed my hand. "I thought Lucy said you were bringing along your boyfriend, not a freaking Greek god. What the hell, Scarlet?" She said good naturedly, cuffing my shoulder.

"I said he was going to be hot," Lucy interjected, coming over and draping an arm around my neck. She waggled a finger at Mira. "You obviously weren't paying attention."

They started to argue, and I looked around, taking in the scenery. The giant hall was draped with gold and white drapes- our school's colors. There was a bar, and a woman with purple hair was manning it, giving students fruity drinks as substitutes for alcohol. My eyes narrowed as Cana sneakily poured something into her drink from a silver flash.

"Smooth Cana, real smooth," I muttered under my breath. I made a mental note to myself to speak to her later about her drinking habits.

There was a stage next to a bar, and a small live band was playing some music. A few students were dancing already, their bodies moving sinuously to the music.

I recognized a few other students: Lisanna in a pink dress, accompanied by Bickslow, a guy on the basketball team; Evergreen in a green sparkly dress, dancing with Elfman.

I turned around to see Jellal laughing with the guys, a grin on his face. His green eyes sparkled with amusement, and he clapped Natsu on the back.

"Come on," Lucy said suddenly, grabbing me by the hand. I looked at her in confusion as she dragged me onto the dance floor.

"It's my favorite song!" She squealed excitedly.

_Tonight I want all of you tonight_

_Give me everything tonight_

_For all we know we might not get tomorrow_

_Let's do it tonight_

I smiled, my body automatically twirling and dancing next to Lucy. The music was uplifting, making me feel lightheaded. My body felt as light as air. It was amazing!

_Excuse me (Excuse Me)_

_And I might drink a little more than I should tonight_

_And I might take you home with me, if I could tonight_

_And, baby, Ima make you feel so good, tonight_

_Cause we might not get tomorrow_

Lucy grabbed my hand, and we dove into the crowd, jumping up and down, screaming and jumping as the band played. The lead singer winked at us and sang louder.

_Grab somebody sexy, tell 'em hey_

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand, and I turned, my eyes widening.

A handsome boy with black hair and deep blue eyes pulled me in close, his hands closing on my waist. He smiled at me, pressing me into his chest uncomfortably. His face came in close.

"They said grab someone sexy. How about it, babe?" He said cockily. I disliked him immediately.

"What the-"

"Back off," a deep voice suddenly said, and a hand thrust it's way in between me and the boy. I blinked, and Jellal's pissed off face came into view next to me.

The boy smiled at Jellal. "Hey man," he began cockliy. "I found her first. You back off."

Jellal grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, his green eyes angry. "She's my-"

"Both of you," I began, cutting Jellal off. "Quit the major testosterone battle right now. Let me speak."

Jellal looked at me, his eyes wide. Testosterone battle? he mouthed. I glared at him. Don't make fun of my creativity, My eyes said.

The boy with the blue eyes looked at me. "E-Excuse me?" he stuttered.

I poked my finger in his chest. "First off, what grade are you in?" I asked him.

"Sophomore?" He began slowly, unsure of where this conversation was headed.

I sighed. "Figures," I began. "Alright, let me tell you something right now kid. You don't grab some random girl on the dance floor and act like she's some toy to play with. And secondly, when my boyfriend tells you to back off, you _back the hell off."_

He gulped. His eyes flicked between me and Jellal, each one of us glaring at him like he had just killed the president or something.

He yelped and took off into the crowd, immediately disappearing into the mass of students. He deserved it, I thought angrily. Who tries to mess with the student council president? No one.

Well, maybe Gray and Natsu, if they're feeling extra suicidal and confident, but they're not usually that reckless.

I hope.

I sighed. "I think I should sit," I said, stomping off to the side and plopping down on one of the tables. Jellal came over to me warily, as if I was going to bite.

"Hey," he whispered, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Don't let some jerk get you down. This is your homecoming, so why not enjoy it?"

I shrugged. "I'm fine, really."

He narrowed his eyes. "Wanna dance?" he asked, gesturing to the crowds. "We're missing out."

I chuckled. He reached his hand out, a smile on his face. "Come on," he whispered. "Won't the goddess answer my simple request?"

I stood up, grabbing his hand. "Lead on, my devout worshipper," I joked.

His smile grew, and he led me out onto the dance floor.

"Are you all having a good time out there?" The band singer yelled out. Jellal grasped my hand comfortingly and pulled me in close.

"Let's go!"

**_Lucy's POV_**

"Phew!" I gasped out, plopping down in my seat, gratefully accepting Gray's glass of water that he was holding out to me.

"Dance much?" he asked me, with a raised eyebrow.

I playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Shut up," I said good naturedly. "I don't see you dancing."

He looked at me. "And completely embarrass myself by falling flat on my face? I don't think so."

"Where's Juvia?"

Gray gestured to the back. "She had to run to the bathroom? And where's pinky at?"

I looked over my shoulder. "That's a good question," I said. "He kinda disappeared."

Gray sighed. "He left you all alone, huh?"

I gave him a withering look. "This is Natsu we're talking about, Gray. Knowing him, he got distracted by something."

There was a loud crash behind me, and I winced. Gray looked over my shoulder and grinned. "Yeah," he said, pointing. "He got distracted all right."

I looked over, and a very unladylike word spilled out from between my lips.

Natsu had knocked over the concessions stand. He was sitting amidst the many desserts and other condiments laying on the floor. He was laughing, and he was surrounded by Laxus and Gajeel, both with idiotic grins on their masculine faces.

I stood up, my jaw dropping. Thank god Erza hadn't heard, she was too busy with Jellal. If she had seen this, Natsu would be a dead man right now.

He was so in for it.

"Excuse me," I said through clenched teeth, handing Gray my drink. "I have to take care of something."

"Don't kill him," Gray sighed, slouching in his seat and loosening his tie.

I looked at Natsu. "I'll do my best," I hissed, storming over to my boyfriend.

"NATSU DRAGNEEL!"

**_Gray's POV_**

I yawned, and looked at the clock on my phone. 10.

"Sheesh, it's been that long?" I mumbled. I looked over at the dance floor, where Juvia and her friend Lisanna were dancing to a song called, "Good time."

I smiled, looking at her. She was laughing along with her white haired friend, shaking her hips and running her hands up her body. She had kicked off her heels a long time ago, and her bare feet were now dancing across the polished wooden floor.

She looked over at me and grinned, hurrying over to me. "Hey," she said breathlessly.

I took her hand. "Hey," I murmured. "You're a great dancer."

She shrugged. "I'm so-so," she said.

I chuckled, and hugged her. "Remind me to take lessons from you," I joked.

Suddenly, the music stopped, making the both of us look up. On the stage the lead singer was fiddling with a guitar. I suddenly noticed that the band had changed. Now, there was a giant man with brown hair tuning his bass, a man with black hair and a squarish face on drums, and a younger guy with blonde on the guitar.

"Alright, guys, we're gonna take a break for a bit. This next guy coming up has a special performance for a special someone. Hold on tight! But for now, why don't I close up with a nice slow number?"

My eyes suddenly focused on a red haired young woman, looking like a goddess amidst the crowds. She was looking around, her eyes searching for someone, and she looked confused.

"Hey," Juvia said, pulling me away from the red head. "Is that Erza? Where's my brother?"

I frowned. "That's really weird," I muttered.

Juvia stood up. "I'm gonna try and find him. I'll see you in a bit, ok?"

I nodded, squeezing her hand before getting up, making my way over to the redhead.

"Oi, Scarlet," I said, stepping up next to her.

"Hey, Gray," she said, her eyes looking past me. "What's up?"

"Where's Jellal?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. He said he had to do something, but he's been gone for ten minutes.

I reached out and grasped her shoulder. "Juvia's looking for him right now," I clarified. "I'm sure he had a good reason to disappear."

She looked at me. "Are you-"

"Don't worry," I said. "Hey listen, while we wait, why don't we dance?" I asked, taking her hand. "It's our last homecoming together, so what do you say? Care to join me?"

She smiled, and squeezed my hand. "Of course, Gray. Lead on."

I led her over to the middle of the floor and placed my hand on her waist. She, in turn, wrapped her hands around my neck, and we began to sway to the music.

"It's been a while since we've been able to hang out together, like, by ourselves," I mused.

She laughed. "Alone, in a room full of people," she noted, looking around.

I squeezed her hips in retaliation. "You know what I meant."

She sighed and rested her head on my shoulder, and I placed a kiss on her head. "I'm glad we're friends, Erza," I murmured.

Her hands tightened around my neck. "Me too," came her voice, sounding small.

We danced together for the rest of the song, silent. There was simply nothing to be said.

The sound of an acoustic guitar suddenly filled my ears. Erza's eyes widened, and we turned our heads towards the music.

I looked at the guy on stage, my eyes widening. "Jellal...?" I whispered.

**_Erza's POV_**

Oh. My. God.

Jellal strummed his guitar, tuning it and stepping up to the mike. His beautiful green eyes bored into mine.

"Hey everyone," he said. "My name is Jellal Fernandes, and I just recently moved here. I know a lot of you don't know me, but I'm friends with Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, and..." he took a deep breath. "Erza Scarlet."

People began to murmur, and I felt a ton of eyes upon me and Gray, the latter stiffening in confusion.

"Before we start, I have something to say. Hope you guys don't mind."

I shook my head silently, as if my answer was everyone's answer.

"I didn't have the greatest life. My parents died when I was young, and I thought it was my fault. I pushed my younger sisters, Juvia and Wendy away, afraid that they were next. For that, I'm sorry.

"And then I met Erza Scarlet, the most beautiful girl in the world. And do you want to know something? She saved me. Through her, I was able to live again, and be happy. I learned a valuable lesson from her. Once you let love come in, you're unstoppable. Love is the most powerful thing in the world. I would never give it up for anything."

He looked at me. "I love you, Erza Scarlet. This one is for you."

He nodded to his friends, Simon, Sho, and Wally, then began to play the guitar, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He looked up at me, and began to sing.

_Well I've been searching for something true_

_My heart says it must be you_

_I'd love to fall and see it through_

_But only if you told me to_

I had to lean up against Gray for support, otherwise my legs would've collapsed. I could already feel the tears coming to my eyes.

Lucy came up to stand next to me, followed closely by Natsu. "Talk about a singer," she whispered.

_Well I'd run through the desert, I'd walk through the rain_

_Get you into trouble, and take all the blame_

_I'd paint you a picture, write you a song_

_And I'd do it all over if I did it all wrong_

_I don't wanna steal you away_

_Or make you change the things that you believe_

_I just wanna drink from the words you say_

_And be everything you need_

_Yeah I could be so good at loving you_

_But only if you told me to_

I felt the first tears drip down my cheeks, and I brushed them away. Jellal smiled at me. He looked over at Sho, and nodded. The blonde boy grinned, then took up the guitar.

Jellal stepped over to the mike, and pulled it free. He stepped down from the stage, and began to walk towards me. People around him began to part, making the way to me clear.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

_I've seen a lot of good love go to waste_

_And I don't wanna look back on these days_

_Knowing all the things you'd never know_

_If I never said a word and let you go_

_I don't wanna steal you away_

_Or make you change the things that you believe_

_I just wanna drink from the words you say_

_And be everything you need_

_Yeah I could be so good at loving you_

_But only if you told me to _

He was now only a few feet in front of me. I felt Gray gently push me away from him, and I took a shaky step towards Jellal, who reached out a hand for me.

I grasped it gently, and he squeezed my hand, pulling me to him. His beautiful eyes smiled at my own, and I had the sudden urge to kiss him.

_I don't wanna steal you away_

_Or make you change the things that you believe_

_I just wanna drink from the words you say_

_And be everything you need_

_Yeah I could be so good at loving you_

_But only if you told me to_

He pressed his forehead against mine, and I closed my eyes. I could faintly hear Lucy sniffle behind me.

_Maybe this is something I'll never be_

_But I'll be right here till you tell me_

Jellal sang those last two verses in my ear. I could hear the people around me begin to clap and cheer, but that didn't matter.

Jellal pulled the mike away from his lips, and smiled gently at me. "Well?" he whispered softly. "How was that?"

"Oh, Jellal," I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck and bringing his head down to mine. He started when my lips met his, then relaxed and wrapped his arms around me, slinging his guitar to rest on his back.

I kissed him softly, feeling my happy tears pooling in my eyes. "Jellal," I whispered. "I love you."

* * *

><p><em>Here I am - this is me<em>

_There's no where else on earth I'd rather be_

_Here I am - it's just me and you_

_And tonight we make our dreams come true_

I sighed and rested my head on Jellal's shoulder, swaying to the sound of Simon's voice. The guy could sing, just not as well as Jellal. He and my boyfriend had collaborated on this song, and it was Jellal who usually sang the vocals, but Simon was pitching in so the former could dance.

He hugged me softly. "Thank you, Erza," he whispered, pressing his lips to my ear.

I raised my head. "For what?" I asked, puzzled.

He smiled. "For helping me break away from all the fears that have been holding me back for so long. For loving me. For saving me."

"Of course," I whispered, pecking him on the lips. "I would do it over and over again."

He pulled me in close, and began to sing along with Simon, filling my ears with his lovely and mesmerizing voice:

_It's a new world - it's a new start_

_It's alive with the beating of young hearts_

_It's a new day - it's a new plan_

_I've been waiting for you_

_Here I am_

**_Jellal's POV_**

She opened the door to her room, the fabric of her dress bunched up in her hands, revealing her long, creamy legs. She smiled at me, pulling me into the room with her and locking the door.

I looked at the time. 11:30.

The dance had ended about a half hour ago, and we had taken the limo back to the dorms. Erza sat next to me, clutching onto my hand while Lucy fell asleep in Natsu's arms. Juvia was snuggled up next to Gray, who had his arm around her shoulders.

Now, it was just us.

The thought of being alone with Erza again made me blush, and I almost began to choke. I loosened the collar of my shirt and popped open the first three buttons, throwing my bowtie onto her dresser.

"Jellal," she whispered to me, and I turned to look at her.

She stared up at me with such longing in her beautiful brown eyes, I was tempted to throw her over my shoulder and do one of those, "And they ran off into the sunset together and lived happily ever after," scenes they do in the movies. I've never really thought myself as a romantic.

Until I met Erza.

I walked over to her and placed a hand on her bare shoulder, tracing invisible patterns on her warm skin. "Erza, " I breathed. I raised my other hand to cup her face.

She leaned forward, until her lips hovered just below mine. I could smell her breath. Strawberries.

"Kiss me," she whispered.

So I did.

She fell into my kiss with urgency, wrapping her hands around my neck and pressing her body against mine. My hands found their way to her hips, and I pulled her closer to me. She was a drug that I was addicted to and couldn't get enough of. I needed her.

She gingerly ran her hands down my chest, lazily undoing my buttons one at a time, until my shirt and jacket hung open over my bare torso. With a hiss, my body tensed as she ran her hands over the hard planes of my abdomen, her fingers tracing my muscles.

"Erza," I mumbled, pulling my face away from hers so I could look at her properly. "I love you, oh god, I love you so much."

She smiled up at me. "I know," She murmured, reaching up behind her to pull at something. "I know."

Suddenly, her dress dropped, pooling around her bare feet. My eyes widened as I took in her white strapless bra, lacy and beautiful, and matching lace panties. She smiled at me, and took my hand.

"Erza," I whispered, stepping over to her and cupping her face. "You're beautiful."

Her eyes closed in rapture.

On a whim, I reached down and gently pulled at her hairband, letting her luscious red locks to jump free. I reached over and plucked the golden circlet off her head, setting it to the side.

"Come here," I whispered, taking her hand. She came close to me, and I pulled her close, lifting her up to press her close to my chest. I heard her intake of breath, but she didn't protest as I laid her down on the bed.

I hovered over her. "I may not be the perfect man, nor the most amazing," I confessed, reaching down to cup her face. "But Erza, I promise you, for the rest of my life, I will never forget to make sure you know how important you are to me."

She smiled, and pulled me in for a kiss. "I know," she whispered, wrapping her arms around me. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

* * *

><p>Afterwards, we lay in bed together, wrapped under the sheets, tangled in each other. Her head lay on my chest, and my arms were wrapped around her, my fingers making invisible patterns on the skin of her lower back.<p>

She yawned, and nuzzled my neck, smiling sleepily. "Say, Jellal," she slurred.

I looked at her, watching her eyes droop from fatigue. "Mhmm?" I mumbled, feeling a bit drowsy myself.

"Sing to me."

I smiled. "You want me to sing."

She nodded. "Yes please."

I hugged her. "Ok," I whispered. I bit my lip, pondering for a second, then smiled. "I know the perfect song." I opened my mouth, and began to sing.

_I hear the wind call your name_

_It calls me back home again_

_It sparks up the fire - a flame that still burns_

_Oh it's to you I'll always return_

_I still feel your breath on my skin_

_I hear your voice deep within_

_The sound of my lover - a feeling so strong_

_It's to you - I'll always belong_

I looked down at her, watching her smile. Her brown orbs, glazed over with fatigue, blinked lazily into mine, full of love, wonder, and happiness. It made my heart swell with happiness to see her so content.

_Now I know it's true_

_My every road leads to you_

_And in the hour of darkness darlin'_

_Your light gets me through_

I was able to get through my hour of darkness because of her. Her light, her, she saved me.

_Wanna swim in your river - be warmed by your sun_

_Bathe in your waters - cuz you are the one_

_I can't stand the distance - I can't dream alone_

_I can't wait to see you - Ya I'm on my way home_

I really, truly love this girl. With all my heart. She's the one.

_Oh I hear the wind call your name_

_The sound that leads me home again_

_It sparks up the fire - a flame that still burns_

_Oh, it's to you - I will always return _

And now, I've finally come home.

"I love you, Erza Scarlet."

_I am not perfect. I lived a terrible life, convinced that my presence harmed everyone I loved. I pushed away my own two sisters because I feared my being with them would hurt them. I lost everything, even my will to live. If I was cursed to live a life of solitude, then why live at all?_

_Then I met someone who changed me for the better. I ran into her in the school hallways- cliché right? But still, this meeting changed my life forever._

_Her name is Erza Scarlet, and she is my one true love. Forgive me if that sounds corny, but it's true._

_When I first met her, she was dating Gray Fullbuster, a handsome black haired boy that I was insanely jealous of. Now, you'd hardly believe a boy I almost came to hate is now one of my best friends._

_Fate must have stepped in, because Erza and Gray split up, each deciding that they were better off friends. When I found out, I was stunned. Was this really happening, I remember asking myself._

_The first time she kissed me, was like me being reborn. I felt like all my worries, my fears, my doubts, washed away with that kiss._

_I remember the day when Erza was attacked. It was also the day of our first date. I remember the pain of my fear returning, and I thought my curse was coming back to take her away from me. Let me tell you something right now, if she truly was taken away from me, I would've lost it. _

_But I was able to save her, and she told me something. Something important._

_"You saved me, Jellal. If anything, you broke your curse. You didn't let them hurt me. You broke your curse. I couldn't ask for a more clearer sign than that. Your curse is no more."_

_I still hear her words to this very day, fueling me on. I am no longer that scared young boy who built walls around his heart and pushed everyone away. Granted, I still have my flaws, but I am in a much better place because of her._

_I love her, and I always will. She brought out the good in me, and believed in me when others didn't. _

_It was a strange twist of fate that brought her into my life, but I thank god everyday for giving me a guardian angel to watch over me for the rest of my life. _

_-Jellal Fernandes_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It's kinda sad, finishing this story. I'll be honest, for a little while, I did lose interest in this story, but after finishing this chapter, it does feel kinda sad.**

**I'm sorry if you guys were expecting a lemon, but this chapter seemed kinda sweet and I didn't want to take away from that with a detailed lemon. Hope you'll forgive me.**

**Songs:**

**Give me Everything- Pitbull**

**If You Told Me To- Hunter Hayes**

**Here I am- Bryan Adams**

**I Will Always Return- Bryan Adams**

**I can't wait to get started- or continue working- on new stories. I look forward to it! Thanks for the big support from you all! Love you guys!**

**Thanks for reading! See ya soon!**

**-Wolf**


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